Welcome to episode 132 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 24, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent headlines highlighting the dangers of USB-borne malware as well as “USB Killer” devices maliciously used on a college campus to destroy computers. The recent, courageous talk shared by Carole Cadwalladr on the TED stage calling for Facebook and Google executives to account for their platforms’ breaking of liberal democracy, pending FTC fines of Facebook and exciting commercial robots from Boston Dynamics were also discussed. On the Google front, enhancements to Google Sheets, an expended free tier for Google Play Music, and the arrival of a more robust YouTube app on the Amazon Fire Stick were highlighted. In Chrome news, HP’s 15 inch Chromebook and an exciting lineup of ChromeOS sessions at Google I/O in about a week were discussed. The ongoing controversy over mandatory cursive handwriting instruction in schools, changes to the Windows10 update process including further crippling of third party antivirus software, and exciting news in the world of podcasting were also addressed in the show. A lawsuit against Apple involving facial recognition gone bad in Apple Stores was also mentioned. Geeks of the Week included a great tip for recording audio in noisy classrooms, promising new software from an Apple developer (Agenda) for project management and personal notetaking, Google Chrome’s free remote desktop software options. 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.
Welcome to episode 131 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 17, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed proposed changes to the way Twitter is designed and works, the challenges of online discussion / dialog, buzz around the release of the Samsung Fold Android smartphone, and the continuing DNS hacks on core Internet infrastructure. Inexpensive facial recognition machines, Google location data in the hands of law enforcement, and harassment on WikiPedia rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included the free textbook “Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers,” Wes’ Mastondon profile address (mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) and the hilarious episode 140 of the Reply All podcast titled, “The Roman Mars Mazda Virus.” 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.
Welcome to episode 130 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 10, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed YouTube’s challenges moderating objectionable content, the human costs of that content moderation, and the incredibly hostile digital infrastructure which is now online amplifying that content for apparently malicious purposes. HUD’s new lawsuit against Facebook for illegally targeted housing advertisements, and privacy and security challenges posted by pre-installed apps on Android were also discussed. Exciting recent Google announcements were highlighted including native editing of MS Office documents via Google Docs, forthcoming 3rd party add-ons to GSuite, and improvements to Hangouts Chat now integrated with Gmail were also discussed. From Chromebook land, the exciting announcement of a new #MadeByGoogle Chromebook, and Apple’s expected “reinvention” of MagSafe power adapters for USB-C devices were explored. Microsoft’s announced closure of its eBook store, the futuristic and arguably dystopian U.S. Army version of Microsoft’s Hololens platform, an intriguing SxSW musical performance utilizing sensorware, and the “Share No Evil” Chrome extension created in response to the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included resources for Wes’ upcoming ATLIS workshop “Filtering the ExoFlood,” the free eBook “Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers,” Gobo.social, and the 2019 Webby’s. 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.
Welcome to episode 129 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 3, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed more technology links than should technically be “legal” for a free #edtech podcast. Topics included the NSO Group and Pegasus iPhone malware and the proliferation of Android-based pre-installed apps posing privacy and security issues. Dangers anticipated via the upcoming bi-annual Windows10 update from Microsoft, Chromium browser benefits on Windows, and another Facebook data breach affecting over 500 million users were also analyzed. Google news included the 15th birthday of Gmail, new features including canned responses and scheduled messages, the effect of Google’s regular killing of its digital children (documented on killedbygoogle.com), and Google’s 2019 April Fool’s Day jokes. A shotgun wielding flying drone in Russia, prospects for a renewable hydrogen-based economy, and Mark Zuckerberg’s latest attempt to apologize for his privacy transgressions rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included Outline VPN, Daily Digital Alchemy (the next iteration of “The Daily Create” by Alan Levine,) free security awareness posters from SANS, a “Smarter Every Day” video series on YouTube weaponization, and a poignant letter by an Apple employee about alleged illegal searches by US homeland security officials at the US border involving his iPhone and MacOS laptop. 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.
Welcome to episode 128 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 27, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed how amazing Garageband software continues to be, this past week’s Apple Event announcements, implications of Article 13’s passage in the EU for user created content, freedom of expression, and the potential of a further fractured global Internet. Additional topics included MacBook keyboard reliability issues, Google’s Stadia announcement for streaming games, Microsoft’s imminent end of Windows7 support, the popularity of Google Docs among teens for chat at school, and the importance of China’s long term strategy to dominate the global digital economy via Huawei and governmental policies. Geeks of the week were plentiful, including AirBnB versus Hilton comparisons, AirBnB superhosts, ScreenCloud digital signage, responses and protection against email phishing, Google home WiFi, the most amazing video (on storytelling and storytellers) from Apple’s Event, and FloorPlanner.com. 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.
Welcome to episode 127 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 6, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google’s new Chromebook App Hub website, OpenAI’s decision to NOT share a new AI text generator, and Microsoft’s forthcoming “Windows Lite” operating system. Dipayan Ghosh & Ben Scott’s advocacy to promote intelligent regulation of Facebook and other Silicon Valley companies enabling “precision propaganda” was also highlighted, along with ways outrage over common threats can hijack parents’ common sense. Facebook’s declining US user base, Facebook’s announcement to emphasize point-to-point “ephemeral” messaging, and SpaceX’s recent success launching its Dragon crew module were also discussed. The future of “the technology correction” and our prospects for changing the “Surveillance Capitalism” model of many Silicon Valley companies, implications of the Huawei CFO extradition controversy, and the importance of media literacy in our age of fake news were additional topics. Updates to the PocketCasts app for Android, the addictive math-focused multiplayer app Prodigy, the gloomy prospects for BotNet death in the near future, the importance of unlimited data plans in the forthcoming 5G data environment, and the importance of carefully using “freemium” software platforms at school rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included an 18,000 mAh battery powered Android phone from Energizer, a fantastic video from Linda Yollis (@lindayollis) on improving student blogging quality, and Wes’ planned ATLIS 2019 bootcamp workshop “Filtering the ExoFlood”. 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.
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.
Welcome to episode 125 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 13, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the death of NASA’s Mars Opportunity rover, cybersecurity incidents in K12 schools, weak U.S. government enforcement of privacy laws, and criticism of both Apple and Google for allowing Saudi men to use apps to track and oppress women. Controversy over developer use of iOS screen recording capabilities, the unlimited powers of Israeli officials to surveil and utilize personal information of citizens without judicial oversight, and Cisco’s push for privacy regulation were also addressed. The upcoming March 25th Apple event, Amazon’s purchase of mesh router company Eero, and Flickr’s extension for users to upgrade to Pro accounts or face image library deletion were other article headlines mentioned in the show. More analysis of Spotify’s podcast company purchases and the implications that could have for openly syndicated podcasts and a variety of ChromeOS updates from Jason (including forthcoming “virtual desks,” new themes and native PDF annotation rounded out the show. Wes’ Geeks of the Week were the Great Questions list / website from Storycorps and a new Google Phishing Quiz, great to share with your colleagues, students and family members. Jason’s Geek of the Week was “The Wirecutter.” 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.
Welcome to episode 124 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 6, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed YouTube’s most recent letter to Creators, Google’s Jigsaw project which uses AI to help human moderators identify toxic posts which violate community standards, and the Japanese government’s plans to hack into citizen’s IoT devices to update firmware. Additional topics included Spotify’s recent acquisitions of Gimlet Media and Anchor, predictions for podcasting in 2019, and the woes of crypto currency investors when the only person with the controlling password dies unexpectedly. The Google Chrome extension “Password Checkup,” ChromeOS instant tethering, impressive digital revenue for the New York Times, and an interview with Ray Kurzweil about our evolutionary trajectory as humans to merge with our computers rounded out the show’s articles. Wes’ Geek of the Week was the PBS video, “What a Smell Looks Like.” Jason’s Geek of the Week was “Hot Pod News.” 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.
Welcome to episode 123 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 30, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the advance of YouTube’s local video content, Google’s attempt to address conspiracy / outlier content on YouTube, and the new Gmail app for Android and iOS. The global decline in smartphone sales, the expectation smartphones are going to “get weird” to boost sales, Google’s efforts to address website validity confusion by consumers, and companies attempting to turn surveillance capitalism’s economic model upside down were also discussed. On the security front, recent comparison studies of paid versus free antivirus software suites, Facebook’s apps and campaigns to wiretap teenage behavior and pay teens for their data, and Apple’s privacy Facetime snafu were also explored. Companies (like Square) pushing Chromebooks across their enterprise as primary computers for employees (even designers!), the Pinebook Linux laptop, and an extraordinary claim from Israeli scientists that genomics will cure cancer worldwide within 12 months rounded up this week’s show topics. Geeks of the week included YouTube TV, Dell Command Update, video editing software ClipChamp, and Digi.me. 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.
