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 146

Welcome to episode 146 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 4, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the release of Android 10, Carl Hooker’s (@mrhooker) recent Twitter conversation and blog post on why banning smartphones in the classroom is a bad idea, and lessons we should all learn about security following the hack of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s account. Imposter sellers and FCC-illegal cell phone signal boosters on Amazon, Apple’s forthcoming September 10th event with rumors of a new iPhone, and the “deep fake” Zao iOS app craze in China were also highlighted. Microsoft’s October 2 Surface event and more warnings for Windows10 updates were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included the amazing app “Genius Scan” for both Android and iOS, Wes’ free Flipboard magazine “iReading,” and Wonder Links shared on Wes’ new curriculum and lesson website for school. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . 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. Will my phone get Android 10? (Android Central; 3 September 2019)
  9. Android 10 features you’ll love: New privacy controls (Android Central; 3 September 2019)
  10. Android 10 Review: Works Nice, If You Can Get It (The Verge; 4 September 2019)
  11. Google can’t fix the Android update problem (The Verge; 4 September 2019)
  12. What Opportunities are Lost When You Ban Technology (Carl Hooker @mrhooker, 1 Sept 2019)
  13. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s account was hacked (The Verge; 4 September 2019)
  14. Three Takeaways From the Hack of Jack Dorsey’s Twitter Account (One Zero; 30 August 2019)
  15. Even Amazon’s Own Products Are Getting Hijacked By Imposter Sellers (The Verge; 29 August 2019)
  16. Unlicensed signal boosters get a boost from Amazon (Wired, 30 Aug 2019)
  17. Apple’s next iPhone event will take place on September 10th (The Verge; 29 August 2019)
  18. Apple’s Tile-like tracking device likely to have removable battery, AR features, work with ‘Items’ tab in Find My app (9 to 5 Mac; 30 August 2019)
  19. Apple offers customers even more options for safe, reliable repairs (Apple; 29 August 2019)
  20. Microsoft announces Surface event on October 2nd in New York City (The Verge; 27 August 2019)
  21. Warning Issued For Millions Of Microsoft Windows 10 Users (Forbes, 1 Sept 2019)
  22. ‘Deepfake’ app causes fraud and privacy fears in China (BBC News, 4 Sept 2019)
  23. Viral Chinese app Zao puts your face in place of Leonardo DiCaprio’s in ‘deepfake’ videos (Washington Post, 3 Sept 2019)
  24. Facebook wouldn’t delete an altered video of Nancy Pelosi. What about one of Mark Zuckerberg? (Washington Post, 12 June 2019)
  25. Genius Scan for Android and iOS
  26. iReading on Flipboard (articles curated by Wes) and Wonder Links (by @wfryer & @sfryer)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 120

Welcome to episode 120 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 3, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed 2018 “Tech Report Cards” from the Verge on Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft. The proliferation of bots and fake content online, and the challenges this presents for online media metrics as well as media literacy, was highlighted. The release of thousands of works into the public domain in the United States, thanks to the non-renewal of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, and an instance of ground-breaking brain surgery rounded out topics for the show. Geeks of the week included an article sharing tips for getting the most out of your Amazon Kindle eReader, and the open source software Burn for MacOS. 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. The Verge 2018 Tech Report Cards: AppleGoogleFacebookAmazonMicrosoft
  9. iPhone XR Sales Crash Increases Apple’s Neverending Nightmare (Forbes, 17 Dec 2018)
  10. Apple says cheap battery replacements hurt iPhone sales (The Verge, 2 January 2019)
  11. Five Ways to Look at Apple’s Surprise Bad News (The Atlantic, 2 Jan 2019)
  12. iOS 2022 (Robert Scoble, 10 Nov 2018)
  13. Why parents and students are protesting an online learning program backed by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook (Washington Post, 20 Dec 2018)
  14. The year in tech: Facebook, Facebook, Facebook (Columbia Journalism Review, 27 Dec 2018)
  15. Amazon Is Paying People $20 an Hour to Deliver Packages Using Their Own Cars — and the Competition Is Cutthroat (Time, 17 Dec 2018)
  16. How Much of the Internet Is Fake? Turns Out, a Lot of It, Actually. (NY Magazine, 26 Dec 2018)
  17. Mickey Mouse and Batman will soon be public domain—here’s what that means (ArsTechnica, 1 Jan 2019)
  18. Public Domain Day advent calendar #14: Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Mark Ockerbloom, 14 Dec 2018)
  19. How to Download the Books That Just Entered the Public Domain (Motherboard, 2 Jan 2018)
  20. Guitarist Has Brain Surgery, and Strums All the Way Through (NYTimes, 21 Dec 2018)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: New Kindle?  Use it to the max!
  22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Burn (open source DVD burning software for MacOS)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 104

Welcome to episode 104 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 22, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the impact of social media platforms on journalism and the ascendency of China seeking to influence global Internet standards. Rumors of Apple updates to the Mac Mini, a browser extension to identify fake news, the amplified burnout of Elon Musk on Twitter, the “right to disconnect,” and a tense meeting at Google discussing China plans while an employee live-tweeted the event were also highlighted and analyzed. Geeks of the Week included the Amazon Firestick (great for hotel travel), the SurfSafe browser extension, ways you should “Treat your passwords like your underwear,” and a free podcasting course sponsored by the Knight Foundation. Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can 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. Book: “The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero” by Timothy Egan
  9. When China Rules the Web (Foreign Affairs, Sept/Oct 2018)
  10. Platforms Are Not Publishers (Jeff Jarvis in The Atlantic, 10 Aug 2018)
  11. 4 Reasons to Wait for the 2018 Mac Mini & 4 Reasons Not To (Gotta Be Mobile; 22 Aug 2018)
  12. Spot a Bot: Identifying Automation and Disinformation on Social Media (Data for Democracy on Medium, 5 June 2018)
  13. This Browser Extension Is Like an AntiVirus for Fake Photos (Wired, 20 Aug 2018)
  14. In the Tesla drama, Saudi Arabia reminds Silicon Valley of its weight (Recode, 13 Aug 2018)
  15. “A huge outlier”: Musk’s Tesla buyout tweet could get him in legal trouble (ARStechnica, 15 Aug 2018)
  16. The right to disconnect: The new laws banning after-hours work emails (New Atlas, 13 Aug 2018)
  17. A tense internal meeting between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and employees went sideways as execs addressed rumors about the company’s China plans (Business Insider, 16 Aug 2018)
  18. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Bring a Fire Stick when you travel!
  19. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: SurfSafe (free browser extension) and How to Launch and grow a Hit Podcast (free course from The Knight Foundation)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 103

Welcome to episode 103 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 15, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed universities deploying smart assistants in student dorms to answer questions, the privacy concerns of smart assistants in educational contexts, and the shortcomings of the latest MacBook Pro laptops relative to Windows-based competitors. Rumors of dual-booting Chromebooks (also booting to Windows), whether or not social media platforms are “publishers,” and strategies to stop or avoid “stalking ads” on social media were also addressed. Social media / fake news controversies over the temporary (7 day) banning of Alex Jones / InfoWars on Twitter, hacker threats to home routers (VPNfilter) and IoT devices, the advent of Fortnite on ALL Android devices (but not via the Google Play Store), and Google’s location tracking of users who turn off location services rounded out the news articles addressed in this show. Geeks of the Week included the Timer Tab app (ad-free), an incredible photo of our sun during a “Coronal Mass Ejection” with the earth shown to scale, and the recent PBS documentary, “Documenting Hate: Charlottesville.” Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can 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. A University Is Putting 2,300 Echo Dots in Student Living Spaces and What Could Go Wrong? (Gizmodo, 15 Aug 2018)
  9. Resources on Privacy Issues for Smart Assistants in the Classroom: Common Sense Media Privacy (@cs_privacy) Bill Fitzgerald (@funnymonkey) and Susan Bearden (@s_bearden)
  10. 2018 MacBook Pro Owners Experiencing Crackling Audio (PC Magazine; 10 August 2018)
  11. HP, Dell, Microsoft Stay A Step Ahead Of The MacBook Pro: Three Metrics (Forbes, 12 Aug 2018)
  12. Chromebooks May Include Dual Boot Feature to Load Windows 10 (PC Magazine; 13 August 2018)
  13. Platforms Are Not Publishers (Jeff Jarvis, The Atlantic; 10 August 2018)
  14. Twitter suspends Alex Jones for urging people to keep “battle rifles” ready (ARStechnica, 15 Aug 2018)
  15. Are Targeted Ads Stalking You? Here’s How to Make Them Stop. (NYTimes, 15 Aug 2018)
  16. Free FoxIt Reader software (for PDFs)
  17. Inside Twitter’s Struggle Over What Gets Banned (New York Times; 10 August 2018)
  18. Hackers could hijack devices using a laptop’s USB-C charger (TechRadar; 9 August 2018)
  19. Russian Military Spy Software is on Hundreds of Thousands of Home Routers (DefenseOne, 13 Aug 2018)
  20. Hackers account for 90% of login attempts at online retailers (Quartz, 18 July 2018)
  21. Your smart air conditioner could help bring down the power grid (CNET, 14 Aug 2018)
  22. How to Install Fortnite on Android (PC Magazine; 14 August 2018)
  23. Google tracks your movements, like it or not (AP, 13 Aug 2018)
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Timer Tab
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Documenting Hate: Charlottesville (PBS) and This Photo Of A Solar Coronal Mass Ejection Is Beyond Comprehension (Digg, 13 Aug 2018)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 100

Welcome to episode 100 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 11, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent announcements from the 2018 ISTE Conference in Chicago, Microsoft’s new Surface Go budget laptop, and the opening of Pandora’s Box for 3D printed guns. Security articles discussed included the worst cybersecurity breaches of 2018 (so far), the importance of never using a USB from an unknown source (including North Korea summit officials), and the potential danger of discarding a used USB flash drive. Google Chrome articles included the launch of the CTL rugged Chromebook, and Neverware’s “Bring Your Old Device” tour, which included an ISTE vendor hall appearance at the Google booth. On the Amazon front, Jason reminded us to look forward to Amazon Prime Day on July 16th, and to consider why Amazon continues to sell lots of tablets in an otherwise lackluster market. Twitter’s recent efforts to delete fake accounts in advance of 2018 midterm elections in the United States was also highlighted. Geeks of the week included a recent episode of the Wired Educator podcast, Wes’ shared podcast subscriptions from PocketCasts, The Scratch Team’s “Getting Unstuck” campaign for 25 days of creative coding, and the recommendation to restart your router to defeat variants of the “VPNfilter” malware outbreak and also optimize your bandwidth performance. Please follow us on Twitter at @edtechSR for updates and for live join links during our Wednesday night shows. Please reach out to us on Twitter if you enjoy the show and let us know you’re listening!

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. All the Upgrades and Updates From Apple, Google and More at ISTE 2018 (EdSurge; 29 June 2018)
  9. Surface Go Is Microsoft’s Big Bet on a Tiny-Computer Future (Wired, 9 July 2018)
  10. A Landmark Legal Shift Opens Pandora’s Box for DIY Guns (Wired, 10 July 2018)
  11. The Worst Cybersecurity Breaches of 2018 So Far (Wired, 9 July 2018)
  12. What was on a USB fan given at the Trump-Kim summit? Security experts say nothing —  but don’t plug it in. (Washington Post; 3 July 2018)
  13. Ready to ditch your old flash drive? Don’t just erase and recycle (USA Today; 5 July 2018)
  14. CTL Launches The Ultra-Rugged Chromebook NL7X (Chrome Unboxed; 22 June 2018)
  15. Neverware Embarks On “Bring Your Old Device” Tour (Chrome Unboxed; 19 June 2018)
  16. Amazon Prime Day is July 16th! (Android & Me, 3 July 2018)
  17. Why Amazon keeps making tablets when the market has been struggling (Washington Post; 5 July 2018)
  18. Twitter is sweeping out fake accounts like never before, putting user growth at risk (Washington Post, 6 July 2018)
  19. Wired Educator Podcast 105: Wes Molyneux on How to Rock 1:1 Deployment and Professional Development (@WiredEducator)
  20. Wes’ Podcast Subscriptions via PocketCasts
  21. Getting Unstuck: 25 Days of Scratch Challenges
  22. Remember to periodically reboot your home router!

EdTech Situation Room Episode 96

Welcome to episode 96 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 30, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) welcomed special guest Dave Quinn (@EduQuinn) to discuss Amazon Alexa’s latest (and improbable) privacy snafu, Facebook marketing videos to restore public trust, Redit’s ascendency over Facebook to become the number three most popular website in the United States, and the much anticipated release of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13. Additional topics included Europe’s GDPR (General Data Privacy Regulation), Apple’s new patent on an “ultra-flexible ‘living hinge’ laptop design,” the newly refreshed Google News app and it’s “full coverage” feature, and the value of Google’s Custom Search Engines. In the course of conversations Dave also mentioned the excellent work Mike Caulfield (@holden) has done on information literacy and web literacy focusing on “4 Moves,” and a shoutout to Nevada STEM educator Brian Crosby (@bcrosby) for his awesome balloon project “High Hopes” (@HighHopesSTEM). Geeks of the week included the Netflix original movie “Into the Inferno” by Werner Herzog, the 1st Inspired Learning Convention, Hummingbird Robotics Kits, and the value of pre-purchasing GoGo InFlight WiFi credits. Check out all our links on https://edtechsr.com/links for these and all other referenced resources from the show. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates and remember to subscribe with PocketCasts, Stitcher, on YouTube, or wherever you prefer to aggregate your favorite podcasts!

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. Dave Quinn (@EduQuinn) – The Inspired Learning Project
  7. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  9. Shout out to Beth Holland (@brholland) who connected Jason and Wes to Dave!
  10. Alexa listened to a couple’s conversation and sent it to the husband’s employee without permission (BoingBoing; 24 May 2018)
  11. After pushing back, Amazon hands over Echo data in Arkansas murder case (TechCrunch, 7 March 2017)
  12. Book: Program or Be Programmed by Douglas Rushkoff (@rushkoff)
  13. Reddit passes Facebook as #3 website in the United States
  14. Facebook and Google hit with $8.8 billion in lawsuits on day one of GDPR (The Verge; 25 May 2018)
  15. Confirmed: ‘Scarlet’ Is The Acer Chromebook Tab 10 (Chrome Unboxed; 27 May 2018)
  16. GDPR Explained In 5 Minutes: Everything You Need to Know (Core DNA; 21 May 2018)
  17. The FBI would like you to reboot your WiFi router (WaPo; 30 May 2018)
  18. Google Custom Search Engines: https://cse.google.com
  19. Review: the Google News app is a news junkie’s dream come true (Mashable, 26 May 2018)
  20. Apple continues work on ultra-flexible ‘living hinge’ design for MacBooks (9 to 5 Mac, 27 May 2018)
  21. Facebook Opens Up About False News (Wired, 23 May 2018) Outstanding 12 minute film by Facebook about Facebook addressing #FakeNews following the 2016 Election hacks)
  22. Facebook Starts Labeling Political Ads in the U.S. (Wired, 24 May 2018)
  23. Facebook, Uber & Wells Fargo Apology Ads (Fast Company, 17 May 2018)
  24. The backlash that never happened: New data shows people actually increased their Facebook usage after the Cambridge Analytica scandal (Business Insider, 20 May 2018)
  25. All Sides: Balanced News
  26. AboutChromebooks.com by @kevinctofel
  27. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Into the Inferno on Netflix (Werner Herzog)
  28. Dave’s Geek of the Week: Hummingbird Robotics Kits1st Inspired Learning Convention
  29. Jason’s Geek of the Week / Travel Tip: Pre-Purchase GoGo Inflight Wifi for Incredible Savings

EdTech Situation Room Episode 89

Welcome to episode 89 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 22, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week special guest Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the transition of iPadPalooza into LearningFest, Virtual Reality at SxSW 2018 and in the classroom, and the upcoming Apple Education Event in Chicago on March 27th. Additional topics included Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and the response of Mark Zuckerberg to allegations his social media platform has become “a weapon” posing an existential threat to democracies worldwide. Geeks of the week included the forthcoming movie, “Ready Player One,” and a new Cadillac ad, “Future Cars.” Check our shownotes for links to these and additional referenced articles and websites.

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. Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) – blog: hookedoninnovation.com
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. The Learning Festival (@TheLearnFest)
  9. VR headsets have become the new arthouse—the best of SXSW’s fantastic VR festival (ArsTechnica, 18 March 2018)
  10. TiltBrush Art VR by Google
  11. Clouds of Sidra – Documentary in VR
  12. Merge VR Goggles $20 at Best Buy
  13. Vive VR Platform
  14. Ring Cam for Home Security
  15. Apple is fighting to regain its position in America’s classrooms (Washington Post, 20 March 2018)
  16. Students and teachers are the focus of Apple’s surprise March 27 event (ArsTechnica, 16 March 2018)
  17. Pearson Set to Sell K-12 Curriculum Business, But Not Assessment (EdWeek Market Brief, 26 Feb 2018)
  18. Alphabet bumped to third as Amazon becomes second most valuable company in the world (9to5Google, 20 March 2018)
  19. Facebook isn’t a ‘community’. It’s a weapon (CNET, 21 March 2018)
  20. How To Change Your Facebook Settings To Opt Out of Platform API Sharing (EFF, 19 March 2018)
  21. A Hurricane Flattens Facebook (Wired, 20 March 2018)
  22. [VIDEO] Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: ‘We spent $1m harvesting millions of Facebook profiles’ (Guardian, 17 March 2018)
  23. We Allowed This to Happen. We’re Sorry. We Need Your Help. (NewCo Shift, 20 March 2018)
  24. Mark Zuckerberg’s Reckoning: ‘This Is a Major Trust Issue’ (NY Times, 21 March 2018)
  25. Mark Zuckerberg’s Post on Cambridge Analytica (Facebook, 21 March 2018)
  26. Carl’s Geek of the Week: Ready Player One Movie
  27. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Cadillac Ad [VIDEO] Future Cars

EdTech Situation Room Episode 76

Welcome to episode 76 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 6, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the viability of antivirus software on client computers and the prospects for brain implants (mind-computer interfaces) as described by a current neurosurgeon. Additional topics included Windows 10 ARM laptops, the public health risks posed by Facebook and Google, digital distractions, and Amazon Prime video finally coming to AppleTV. Google-related topics included the current spat over selling products on Amazon.com, which is leading to the blocking of YouTube on Amazon streaming devices, YouTube’s redoubled efforts to address child exploitation online, and the need for AI / machine learning consultants to help companies utilize these technologies to support their business practices. The prospects for privacy in the United State being further eroded by a Supreme Court case focusing on the need for a warrant for cell phone location data and the best selling products during CyberMonday rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included Android battery management strategies, the Windows re-imaging tool Ninite, a science fiction book written by a neuroscientist, and Amazon’s new “Transcribe” service for audio and video files stored on the Amazon Cloud. Please check out all our shownotes (including articles we did not have time to address in this week’s show) on http://edtechSR.com/links and follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechSR for updates.

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. Security Guidelines for Congressional Campaigns (TechSolidarity, November 2017)
  9. The Surgeon Who Wants to Connect You to the Internet with a Brain Implant (MIT Technology Review, 30 Nov 2017)
  10. NeuroLutions
  11. Neuralink
  12. Secrets of the Brain (National Geographic, February 2014)
  13. These are the first Windows 10 ARM laptops (The Verge, 5 December 2017)
  14. Qualcomm Is Building Awesome Windows PCs Out Of Smartphone Parts (Wired, 5 December 2017)
  15. How Facebook and Google threaten public health – and democracy (The Guardian, 11 Nov 2017)
  16. Digital Distractions by Jason Neiffer (Classroom 2.0 Live, 11 Feb 2017)
  17. Amazon Prime Video comes to Apple TV, finally (The Verge, 6 December 2017)
  18. ‘We could build something revolutionary’: how tech set underground music free (The Guardian, 22 November 2017)
  19. Google Lashes Out at Amazon by Blocking YouTube (Fortune Magazine, 5 Dec 2017)
  20. Here’s What YouTube Is Doing To Stop Its Child Exploitation Problem (BuzzFeed News, 4 Dec 2017)
  21. Google, Amazon Find Not Everyone Is Ready for Artificial Intelligence (Wired, 1 Dec 2017)
  22. The US could be on the verge of dismantling digital privacy as we know it (Quartz, 29 Nov 2017)
  23. Chromecast & Samsung tablets among best-selling items on record Cyber Monday (9 to 5 Google; 28 November 2017)
  24. Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Take Control of your Android Battery! and Ninite
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: RedDevil 4: A Novel by Eric C. Leuthardt and Amazon Transcribe is a sophisticated transcription service for AWS (TechCrunch, 29 Nov 2017)