socialmedia

EdTechSR Ep 265 Starlink Mobile Connectivity

Welcome to episode 265 (“Starlink Mobile Connectivity”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 20, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the FCC’s authorization of Starlink’s system to be used in moving vehicles, along with other connectivity related articles. Hoopla around the TikTok “blackout challenge,” calls for TikTok to preserve war crimes videos in Ukraine, advertisements on Netflix, and declining Netflix subscriptions were also highlighted articles and topics. Geeks of the Week included the upcoming Adobe Digital Summit and “the (Mis)Information Game, a social-media simulation.” 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. The FCC authorizes SpaceX’s Starlink system to be used on vehicles in motion (The Verge; 30 June 2022)
  10. T-Mobile 5G home internet reaches 5 million new addresses in the middle of the country (The Verge; 30 June 2022)
  11. The TikTok ‘blackout challenge’ has now allegedly killed seven kids (The Verge; 7 July 2022)
  12. TikTok resists calls to preserve Ukraine content for war crime investigations (Ars Technica, 15 Jul 2022)
  13. TikTok can’t stop users from doxxing the Supreme Court (ArsTechnica, 29 Jun 2022)
  14. Netflix’s ad-supported tier won’t have everything at launch (The Verge; 19 July 2022)
  15. Netflix subscriber count in the US and Canada dropped by 1.3 million over the last three months (The Verge; 19 July 2022)
  16. Here’s what Netflix execs think about the Netflix problem (Vox; 20 July 2022)
  17. Discovering Useful Ideas (a workshop by Wes)
  18. Wes’ Twitter Lists
  19. Jason’s Twitter Lists
  20. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Adobe Digital Summit
  21. Wes’ Geek of the Week: the (Mis)Information Game, a social-media simulation  (via @/UlliEcker)

EdTechSR Ep 248 Rogan Spotify Kerfuffle

Welcome to episode 248 (“Rogan Spotify Kerfuffle”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 9, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed technology-related news about Microsoft, Apple, The Technology Correction, Google, Security, and Privacy. In this episode, we especially focused on the issues raised with the Joe Rogan and Spotify situation, involving musical artists like Neil Young, who threatened and then removed all their music from Spotify’s library in protest of the platform’s support for Rogan and disinformation. 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. Microsoft Surface Laptop SE vs Chromebooks: A limited but capable competitor (About Chromebooks; 7 February 2022)
  10. Every M1 Mac is due for a 2022 refresh with faster M2 chip, new designs (MacWorld; 8 February 2022)
  11. Apple will introduce new iPhone, iPad on March 8 (ArsTechnica, 7 Feb 2022)
  12. Meta’s threat to close down Facebook and Instagram in Europe backfires as EU leaders embrace shutdown: ‘Life would be very good without’ (City AM; 9 February 2022)
  13. Facebook loses users for the first time in its history (The Washington Post; 2 February 2022)
  14. FB Stock (Google)
  15. The Spotify-Rogan saga highlights the distinction between publishers and platforms (Tech Crunch; 9 February 2021)
  16. Spotify to Pull Neil Young’s Music After Artist’s Objections to Joe Rogan (Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan 2022)
  17. Spotify Publishes Content Guidelines in Response to Rogan Kerfluffle
  18. Everything you need to know about the bill that could blow up the app store (The Verge, 9 Feb 2021)
  19. LumaFusion, a popular video editor on iOS, is coming to Android in the ‘first half’ of 2022 (9 5o 5 Google; 9 February 2022)
  20. Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s massive screen makes it basically an Android laptop (CNet; 9 February 2022)
  21. Chrome OS 98 Offers A Screen Capture Update, A New Virtual Desk Shortcut, And More (Chrome Unboxed; 8 February 2022)
  22. Reports Of Declined Chromebook Shipments Disregard The Bigger Picture (Chrome Unboxed; 1 February 2022)
  23. Google still thinks 3 years of updates provide a ‘great experience’ ahead of cutting off Pixel 3 (9 to 5 Google; 25 January 2022)
  24. YouTube CEO: More Creators Are Making At Least $10K a Year (Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan 2022)
  25. Google account hacks drop 50% for 150 million who got 2-factor login (CNet; 8 February 2022)
  26. Hacker Circulates Fake, Malware-Laden Windows 11 Installer (PC Magazine; 9 February 2022)
  27. Russia could cyberattack Ukraine — again — and disrupt the entire world (NPR, 29 Jan 2022)
  28. Phishing Simulation Study Shows Why These Attacks Remain Pervasive (Dark Reading, 7 Feb 2022)
  29. Lawmakers call on feds to drop Clearview AI facial recognition contracts (Verge, 9 Feb 2022)
  30. IRS stops requiring selfies after facial recognition system is widely panned (ArsTechnica, 7 Feb 2022)
  31. Health sites let ads track visitors without telling them (ArsTechnica, 7 Feb 2022)
  32. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Teach With Chrome Series by ⁦@GoogleForEdu⁩ (free online learning starts Feb 22! – “Coded Bias” Netflix documentary – Control-F Project
  33. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Vista Create

EdTechSR Ep 233 Privacy Protection Prescriptions

Welcome to episode 233 (“Privacy Protection Prescriptions”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 29, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple updates to its productivity software suite, iPhone 13 stress tests and reviews, and strategies to avoid a Facebook hack. An important new guide to “resetting privacy controls” on your devices from the Washington Post, the NSA and CIA’s behavioral endorsement of ad blockers in our “dangerous” advertising environment, and the inability of anyone to “escape Facebook tracking” today were also discussed. Lithuania’s extreme request to people to throw away Huawei (Chinese made) smartphones, the EFF’s positive announcement that secure website connections (https) have finally been normalized in all popular web browsers, and a questionable password security website were highlighted topics. Jason’s recommendation of the Darknet Diaries podcast, the a data breach in Canada by a vaccine verification app (Portpass), EU warnings to Russia over possible election cyberattacks in Germany, the new Amazon device announcements, and the power of teen influencers on TikTok to disrupt scientific research were articles rounding out this week’s show. Geeks of the Week included former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s recent interview on “How AI Shapes Our Human Future” (aka “Misinformation Is About to Get So Much Worse”) and the power of “pocket notebooks” (like Field Notes) to boost personal productivity. 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. Apple updates free Keynote, Pages and Numbers iWork apps to take on Microsoft Office (CNet; 28 September 2021)
  9. iPhone 13 Pro Max sets record in smartphone battery stress test, with almost ten hours of continuous use (9 to 5 Mac; 24 September 2021)
  10. Apple iPhone 13 Review: The Most Incremental Upgrade Ever (The New York Times; 21 September 2021)
  11. How to Avoid a Facebook Hack – with a personal password audit (Wes Fryer’s SubStack, 27 Sept 2021)
  12. Privacy Reset: A guide to the important settings you should change now (Washington Post, 23 Sept 2021)
  13. The NSA and CIA Use Ad Blockers Because Online Advertising Is So Dangerous (Motherboard; 23 September 2021)
  14. There’s no escape from Facebook, even if you don’t use it (Washington Post, 29 August 2021)
  15. Lithuania urges people to throw away Chinese phones (BBC News, 22 Sept 2021)
  16. Electronic Frontier Foundation will deprecate HTTPS Everywhere plugin (ArsTechnica, 27 Sept 2021)
  17. Not sure about the safety of this site: www.xposedornot.com
  18. Darknet Diaries (podcast recommendation from Jason)
  19. Portpass app may have exposed hundreds of thousands of users’ personal data (CBC News, 28 Sept 2021)
  20. EU warns Russia over cyberattacks ahead of German elections (AP, 24 Sept 2021)
  21. Everything to know about 3 new Amazon devices unveiled on Tuesday (Fortune, 28 Sept 2021)
  22. A teenager on TikTok disrupted thousands of scientific studies with a single video (Verge, 24 Sept 2021)
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: [VIDEO] How AI Shapes Our Human Future (Eric Schmidt, 19.5 min) – Transcript titled “Misinformation Is About to Get So Much Worse” and NASA’s Artemis Rover to Land Near Nobile Region of Moon’s South Pole (2:45 video)
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: A Pocket Notebook Is the Best Productivity Booster (LifeSavvy; 20 September 2021) – Field Notes – Much Cheaper Alternative

EdTechSR Ep 217 CryptoCurrency is realER

Welcome to episode 217 (“CryptoCurrency is realER”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 28, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a new Supreme Court test of students’ rights to freedom of expression on social media, the dark web marketplace of user data, and Apple’s new iOS update (14.5) privacy features. Apple’s App Store defense in the Epic Games trial and the potentnial antitrust broo-ha-ah over Apple AirTags were highlighted. In our “miscellaneous” category, meme subject “disaster girl’s” NFT payout of almost half a million dollars and an inventive analog-vibe switchboard voice messaging DIY project using Telegram were also highlighted. On the Google front, rumored GoogleIO product updates and announcements, ChromeOS 90 new features, and the momentous performance improvements with the “Tiger Lake” Chromebook chip were discussed. The official announcement that Montana has the worst connectivity in the United States, and the SpaceX victory for lower orbit StarLink sattelite orbits were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included the mindless but apparently addicting game “Doge Miner 2” and MightyDeals.com. 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. At Supreme Court, Mean Girls Meet 1st Amendment (NPR Morning Edition; 28 April 2021)
  9. ACLU Urges U.S. Supreme Court To Protect Students’ First Amendment Rights When They’re Out Of School (ACLU Penn; 28 April 2021)
  10. I found your data. It’s for sale. (Washington Post, July 2019)
  11. Here’s the nuclear option to opt out of tracking on iOS (ReCode; 26 April 2021)
  12. Facebook now has to ask permission to track your iPhone. Here’s how to stop it. (Washington Post, 26 April 2021)
  13. Apple reinforces that App Store was built to protect users as trial against Epic approaches (9 to 5 Mac; 27 April 2021)
  14. Why Apple’s latest gadget is catching the attention of antitrust regulators (ReCode; 21 April 2021)
  15. After years as a meme, ‘Disaster Girl’ takes control of her image — with a hefty payoff (Herald Sun, 27 April 2021)
  16. Inventive grandson builds Telegram messaging machine for 96-year-old grandmother (Verge, 26 Apr 2021) – thread
  17. Google CEO Sundar Pichai Teases ‘significant Product Updates And Announcements’ Ahead Of Google I/O (Chrome Unboxed; 28 April 2021)
  18. ChromeOS 90 Released: 5 New Chrome OS 90 Features Visualized In A Video Walk-Through (ChromeUnboxed; 24 April 2021)
  19. First Look: Tiger Lake Chromebook Benchmarks Reveal Monstrous Gains (Chrome Unboxed; 26 April 2021)
  20. It’s official, Montana has the worst internet service in the nation (Great Falls Tribune via Senator Jon Tester)
  21. SpaceX wins approval for lower Starlink orbits, overcoming rival objections (The Verge; 27 April 2021)
  22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Doge Miner 2
  23. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Mighty Deals
  24. Recommended Webinar via Peggy George: Google Photos 2021

EdTechSR Ep 204 – Forecasts for 2021

Welcome to episode 204 (“Forecasts for 2021”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 12, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) shared some predictions for educational technology in 2021, as well as a few technology news headlines from the past two weeks. 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) – Family Food Blog – Playing with Media Video Library
  8. Ex-Apple engineer: Apple’s ‘Privacy Nutrition Labels’ have a fatal flaw (Fast Company; 11 January 2021)
  9. Uganda Blocks Facebook Ahead of Contentious Election (NY Times, 13 Jan 2021)
  10. Uganda elections 2021: Facebook shuts government-linked accounts (BBC News, 11 Jan 2021)
  11. If You Were on Parler, You Saw the Mob Coming (NYTimes Opinion Podcast by Kara Swisher, 7 Jan 2021)
  12. Op-Ed: For right-wing extremists, this was a victory (DFR Lab, Emerson T Brooking, 7 Jan 2021)
  13. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Jason: www.castironcollector.com and Cast Iron Enamel Descoware
  14. Wes’ Geek of the Week:  [PODCAST] Larry Brilliant and Peter Hotez: Vaccinating Our Way Out of the Pandemic (World Affairs Podcast, 12 Dec 2020)

Jason’s Predictions for 2021:

  1. Distance learning will continue to grow as a viable option for students that want or need that model after the pandemic.
  2. Intel will continue to lose market share to ARM-based processors and AMD processors.  A whole new generation of devices will appear, prioritizing long battery life and speedy, responsive interfaces.
  3. The Technology Correction will continue, but, without the guidance of regulation.  Trump’s ban on most social media platforms will push some conversations ahead.
  4. The pandemic will diminish its impact, but, video conferencing and doing some personal and professional connections will continue with technology.
  5. Using the Internet for information will become more complicated, as more and more alternative platforms develop.  The information landscape requires persistent information education in schools.

Wes’ Predictions for 2021

  1. US / China Relations and Technology: Deployment of 5G networks and infrastructure will exacerbate technology interoperability issues and force nations to choose Chinese or US/European network infrastructure solutions. Response of Biden administration to Chinese security threats will reveal the validity / sincerity of security threats
  2. The Tech Correction: A constituency and agenda will coalesce further around regulation and limitations of social media companies, increasing liability and extending mandated collaboration standards and requirements for content moderation / censorship (like the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism – GIFCT)
  3. Media Literacy: Disinformation and Conspiracy Theories will continue to be weaponized to subvert democratic governments, teachers will be asked to address these issues through civics education. COVID Vaccination efforts worldwide will be significantly impeded by anti-vax misinformation
  4. Security: Hacks, identify theft, ransomware and password breaches will continue to increase in frequency and magnitude: Password security, MFA and password managers will continue to grow in importance

EdTech Situation Room Episode 143

Welcome to episode 143 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 31, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s proposed “SMART Act” (the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology Act), the state of adblocking online in mid-2019, and amazing developments in the world of eSports with a recent Fortnight payout of over $30 million for a single tournament. Apple’s quarterly announcements including its continued transition to services for revenue, the implications of those trends for Apple portable hardware in schools, and ChromeOS updates including facial recognition “face unlock” as well as continued changes to default Flash support were also highlighted. Additional headlines analyzed during the show included FaceApp’s terms of service and privacy implications for users, the FTC’s class action lawsuit settlement against Equifax, Google’s banning of certain DIY advertisements for iFixIt, continued calls for smartphone backdoor encryption by the US Department of Justice, and an incredible “classified artificial brain” project underway by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in the United States. Geeks of the Week included the “Unreal Mobile” smartphone service, the new website “”Hack the Moon,” and the podcast “Your Undivided Attention.” With the impending demise of “Google Hangouts on Air” for YouTube Live, this was our first show to use StreamYard.com as well as Restream.io to both live stream and archive our show simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live. 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. Josh Hawley’s bill to limit your Twitter time to 30 minutes a day, explained (Recode, 31 July 2019)
  9. A lawmaker wants to end ‘social media addiction’ by killing features that enable mindless scrolling (Washington Post, 30 July 2019)
  10. How Phones Made the World Your Office, Like It or Not (New York Times, 31 July 2019)
  11. Fortnite World Cup has handed out $30 million in prizes, and cemented its spot in the culture (TechCrunch, 28 July 2019)
  12. Kyle Bugha Giersdorf 16 wins Fortnite World Cup singles and $3 million (ESPN, 28 July 2019)
  13. Esports celebs, influencers could push prize pools to new heights (ESPN, 28 July 2019)
  14. Adblocking: How About Nah? (EFF, 25 July 2019)
  15. The iPhone now makes up less than half of Apple’s business (The Verge, 30 July 2019)
  16. Apple Card: company reveals credit card launching next month (The Guardian, 30 July 2019)
  17. Google Chrome 76 arrives, makes it harder to use Flash and easier to dodge paywalls (The Verge, 30 July 2019)
  18. Face Unlock Coming Soon To Chrome OS And May Debut With ‘atlas’ Alongside Pixel 4 (ChromeUnboxed, 31 July 2019)
  19. FaceApp: Deleting it doesn’t mean you get your data back (CNN Business, 26 July 2019)
  20. FTC says ‘you will be disappointed’ if you choose $125 for Equifax payout (Verge, 31 July 2019)
  21. Equifax Breach Official Claim Filing Website (FTC)
  22. An Open Letter to the FTC on Google’s Banning of Repair Business Ads (iFixit; 16 July 2019)
  23. Tech firms “can and must” put backdoors in encryption, AG Barr says (ArsTechnica, 23 July 2019)
  24. IT’S SENTIENT: Meet the classified artificial brain being developed by US intelligence programs (Verge, 31 July 2019)
  25. Japan once again shoots a bullet at an asteroid… and the video is amazing (SyFyWire, 29 July 2019)
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Unreal Mobile
  27. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Hack The Moon (@wehackthemoon) – VIDEO: “Deciphering The Vast Scale of the Universe” and Your Undivided Attention Podcast (@HumaneTech_)
  28. Our livestreaming tools: StreamYard.com and Restream.io

EdTech Situation Room Episode 134

Welcome to episode 134 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 15, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a touching video about Google Lens and literacy from Google I/O and the winners of the NPR student podcasting challenge. Jason provided a review of his new Google Pixel 3A smartphone, and the surprise announced end of “branded accounts” within GSuite for Education was highlighted. Other discussed topics included Facebook’s fight to protect EU elections, post-Christchurch shooting efforts to curtail terrorist content online, and San Francisco ordinances shining light on facial recognition technology use by local police forces. The FCC’s proposed rule change for carriers to block cellular network robocalls, a new website hack compromising eCommerce web forms, and the security threat of IoT devices were subjects rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included the app and website Hopper for travel deal shopping, the “Better Angels” organization seeking to politically depolarize the United States, and ISTE’s new certification program for educators. 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. [VIDEO] Google Lens: Urmila’s Story (from Google I/O 2019 keynote)
  9. Here Are The Winners Of The NPR Student Podcast Challenge (NPR; 1 May 2019)
  10. Periods! Why These 8th-Graders Aren’t Afraid To Talk About Them (NPR; 15 May 2019)
  11. Brief Review: Jason Gets a Pixel 3A
  12. Why are Brand Accounts being removed from G Suite for Education (GSuite Admin Community post)
  13. Inside Facebook’s war room: the battle to protect EU elections (Guardian, 5 May 2019)
  14. Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and other tech companies join governments in pledging to fight terrorist content in wake of Christchurch shooting, but U.S. refuses to join (Business Insider, 15 May 2019)
  15. San Francisco becomes bans facial recognition software by police (Business Insider, 15 May 2019)
  16. Ajit Pai proposes new rule that would allow carriers to block robocalls (Verge, 15 May 2019)
  17. Hackers are collecting payment details, user passwords from 4,600 sites (ZDnet, 12 May 2019)
  18. IoT devices pose a much bigger cyberthreat than you and I realize (Mashable; 12 May 2019)
  19. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Hopper App
  20. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Better Angels Depolarize America (@BetterAngelsUSA) and ISTE Certification

EdTech Situation Room Episode 133

Welcome to episode 133 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 8, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed lots of news from this week’s Google I/O Conference. Topics included Google’s renewed focus on user privacy, shift in focus from search and answers to productivity, improved digital well-being tools, the mid-range price Pixel 3A smartphone, and the amazing “Google Lens” text to speech as well as translation capabilities. On the Microsoft front, the return of “PowerToys” to Windows10 and forthcoming support for Linux were discussed. Additional topics included NASA’s robotic detection of an earthquake on Mars, the election of a well known comedian (with no prior political experience) to the presidency in Ukraine thanks in part to social media, and the productivity drag of business communication apps like Slack. The failure of Energizer’s 18K mAh smartphone was also highlighted. Geeks of the week included a two part episode on the Chinese Surveillance State from the New York Times “The Daily” podcast, freely licensed photos from Wes and many other photographers on UnSplash, and the personal finance automation service, “Trim.” 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. Google I/O 2019 event in 13 minutes (Verge, 7 May 2019)
  9. “Changing from a company that helps you find answers, to a company that helps you get things done” – Sundar Pachai (2:17 of opening keynote)
  10. Google’s Sundar Pichai: Privacy Should Not Be a Luxury Good (New York Times; 7 May 2019)
  11. Google expands digital well-being tools to include a new ‘Focus mode,’ adds improved parental controls to Android (TechCrunch, 7 May 2019)
  12. Google announces Pixel 3a and 3a XL w/ familiar design, lower price, Snapdragon 670, more (9 to 5 Google; 7 May 2019)
  13. Comment: Google Pixel 3a at (effectively) $300 is just a stupid good value (9 to 5 Google; 8 May 2019)
  14. Google Lens adding new tools to highlight menus, split checks, translate, more (9 to 5 Google; 7 May 2019)
  15. Google Confirms It Will Automatically Delete Your Data — What You Need To Know (Forbes; 5 May 2019)
  16. Google Maps and search are getting an Incognito mode (The Verge; 7 May 2019)
  17. Google is pushing back against ad tracking in Chrome (The Verge; 7 May 2019)
  18. Google Maps AR walking directions launches today on Google Pixel smartphones (9 to 5 Google; 7 May 2019)
  19. Microsoft brings PowerToys back to let anyone improve Windows 10 for power users (The Verge; 8 May 2019)
  20. Microsoft will ship a full Linux kernel in Windows 10 (The Verge; 6 May 2019)
  21. Microsoft Office 365 Accounts Under Attack — What You Need To Know (Forbes; 2 May 2019)
  22. NASA’s InSight Detects First Likely ‘Quake’ on Mars (NASA, 23 April 2019)
  23. Ukraine election result: Volodymyr Zelensky, comedian, is new president (Vox, 21 April 2019)
  24. The productivity pit: how Slack is ruining work (Vox / Recode, 1 May 2019)
  25. Energizer’s 18,000 mAh phone-battery monster is an Indiegogo flop (The Verge; 30 April 2019)
  26. 2 Part Episode on The Daily Podcast by The New York Times: The Chinese Surveillance State Part 1 and Part 2
  27. @wfryer on Unsplash and InfoPics
  28. Trim Financial Assistant (@ask_trim)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 126

Welcome to episode 126 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 28, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on assignment at the NCCE Conference in Seattle. In this episode, Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and Beth Holland (@brholland) discussed baby duck syndrome, resources by PBS Learning Media including “The Cat in the Hat” online, and what’s revealed about student perceptions when they “draw a scientist.” Additional topics included the upcoming April 14-17, 2019 ATLIS Conference in Dallas, danah boyd’s book, “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens,” and the work of Lisa Gurnsey (@lisaguernsey) on the important roles of “media mentors.” Beth also shared a shout out for Yong Zhao’s book, “What Works May Hurt―Side Effects in Education.” Geeks of the week included the websites Pexels and Unsplash for copyright-free images, and the COSN Digital Equity Project. 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. NCCE 2019 Conference
  7. Beth Holland (@brholland) – blog: brholland.com
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  9. Baby Duck Syndrome
  10. PBS Learning Media (@pbsteachers)
  11. Draw a Scientist: Activity from the California Academy of Sciences
  12. PBS Kids: The Cat in the Hat
  13. ATLIS Conference
  14. It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens by danah boyd (@zephoria)
  15. A New 21st-Century Job: The Media Mentor (New America, 24 Oct 2016)
  16. Maryland Libraries Build a Peer-Coaching Program to Train Media Mentors (New America, 11 July 2018)
  17. Lisa Gurnsey (@lisaguernsey) – The Role of the Media Mentor
  18. What Works May Hurt―Side Effects in Education by Yong Zhao (@yongzhaoed)
  19. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Pexels and Unsplash (free photos for commercial use, no attribution required)
  20. Beth’s Geek of the Week: COSN Digital Equity Project

EdTech Situation Room Episode 114
Welcome to episode 114 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 14, 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 college students at UC Berkeley developing browser extensions to identify political bot accounts on social media, prospects for liberal democracy portrayed in PBS Frontline’s recent series “The Facebook Dilemma,” and issues of both trust and due process involving Facebook, content takedowns and smart assistants like Alexa and Google Home. Microsoft’s problems with recent Windows10 updates and its new crowdsourced feedback process for updates, and new research on the value of doodling for learning and retention were also discussed with a shout out to Sylvia Duckworth’s (@sylviaduckworth) new book on sketchnoting. The “Shift Happens” video series 10 years later, problems with drone videos and wildlife harassment, Google’s pleas to content creators to help oppose new copyright legislation in Europe, and a Mozilla report identifying the “creepiest” tech gifts this holiday season from a privacy / surveillance standpoint rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included FFWorks / FFMpeg for video encoding, Thankful Bot from the Noun Project, a funny U.S. election meme on Twitter, and the virtual keyboard project CopyChar. 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.

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. The College Kids Doing What Twitter Won’t (Wired, 1 Nov 2018)
  9. BotCheck.me
  10. The Facebook Dilemma Part 1 and Part 2 (PBS Frontline, 29 & 30 Oct 2018)
  11. Facebook Is the Least Trusted Major Tech Company When it Comes to Safeguarding Personal Data, Poll Finds (Fortune; 8 November 2018)
  12. Human rights groups want Facebook to offer ‘due process’ for takedowns (The Verge; 14 November 2018)
  13. Instagram starts rolling out dashboard that shows how much time you spend on it (Verge, 14 Nov 2018)
  14. Alexa, Should We Trust You? (The Atlantic, November 2018)
  15. Microsoft re-releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update today after pulling it offline (The Verge; 13 November 2018)
  16. Microsoft to focus on Windows 10 quality after a buggy year (The Verge; 13 November 2018)
  17. Drawing Is the Fastest, Most Effective Way to Learn, According to New Research (Inc Magazine, 31 Oct 2018)
  18. The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory (Sage Journals, 30 Aug 2018)
  19. “How to Sketchnote: A Step-by-Step Manual for Teachers and Students” by Sylvia Duckworth @sylviaduckworth
  20. Has ‘Shift’ Happened? Revisiting a Viral Video From 2008 (EdSurge, 6 Nov 2018)
  21. That Cute Baby-Bear Video Reveals a Problem With Drones (The Atlantic, 6 Nov 2018)
  22. A Final Update on Our Priorities for 2018 (YouTube Creator Blog, 22 Oct 2018)
  23. Google CEO’s China argument doesn’t hold water (Columbia Journalism Review, 9 Nov 2018)
  24. Mozilla Releases Creepy Gift Report (Mozilla Foundation)
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week:  FFWorks (backstory), “Thankful Bot” by @nounproject and the Twitter meme – “me voting in 2016 vs. me voting in 2018”
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: CopyChar.CC – Virtual Keyboard