EdTechSR Ep 327 AI Search Evolution

Welcome to episode 327 (“AI Search Evolution”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 22, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed various topics, beginning with Jason’s recent trip to Japan, where he visited Hiroshima and experienced some unique weather patterns. The conversation quickly transitioned to an in-depth look at current technology news and its implications for education. Key discussions included the return of controversial figures to social media platforms, the impact of fractured social media ecosystems on communication and professional development, and the potential and challenges of federated social media platforms like Mastodon. The hosts emphasized the importance of educators exploring and understanding these evolving platforms to better navigate the digital landscape. The episode also highlighted significant updates from Google I/O and Microsoft, focusing on their AI advancements and new product announcements. Jason and Wes analyzed Google’s move to integrate AI into search results, comparing it to science fiction-like interactions and pondering its future implications for advertising, media, and user behavior. They also delved into Microsoft’s controversial “Recall” feature, which captures screenshots of users’ screens every few seconds, raising substantial privacy and security concerns. The hosts wrapped up with their “Geeks of the Week” segment. Jason recommended the Logitech Options+ software for enhancing mouse functionality with AI features, while Wes shared a personal throwback by showcasing a 1978 remix of Star Wars and a practical video on managing email effectively for a productive digital life. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! 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 Facebook, Mastodon and Substack!
  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 (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif) – aicentrist.com – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. OpenAI debuts GPT-4o ‘omni’ model now powering ChatGPT (TechCrunch; 13 May 2024)
  10. Google I/O 2024: everything announced (The Verge, 14 May 2024)
  11. Key January 6th Instigator, Nick Fuentes, Reinstatement on Twitter/X: The Implications (Just Security, 4 May 2024)
  12. Roblox Community Protests ‘Communism’ Update (404 Media, 9 May 2024)
  13. Microsoft Surface event: the 6 biggest announcements (The Verge; 20 May 2024)
  14. How the new Microsoft Recall feature fundamentally undermines Windows security (Double Pulsar, 21 May 2024) 
  15. Jason’s Geek of the Week: LogiTech AI Generator
  16. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Star Wars 1978 Remix (6 min) and Email Jedi Tricks (31 min)
EdTech Situation Room Epsiode 327” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 322: Openness Challenges Authoritarianism

Welcome to episode 322 (“Openness Challenges Authoritarianism”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 20, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer navigated through the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, education, and policy. The episode offered in-depth discussions on the implications of new AI developments, with a particular focus on Google’s AI challenges and Microsoft’s latest endeavors in integrating AI into Windows. The conversation also touched on Apple’s strategic moves in AI and the broader impact of AI on educational practices and cybersecurity. Amid these discussions, the show highlighted the importance of open-source platforms in combating authoritarian regimes, as exemplified by Taiwan’s digital transformation under the leadership of its Digital Minister, Audrey Tang. The episode underscored the power of openness and transparency in fostering trust and democracy in the digital age. “Geeks of the Week” included insights into Stephen Johnson’s collaboration with Google on the Notebook LM project, showcasing the potential of AI in enhancing writing and creative processes. Additionally, the EFF’s podcast episode on “Open Source Beats Authoritarianism” was spotlighted, offering listeners a glimpse into Taiwan’s successful use of open-source principles to revolutionize government transparency and citizen engagement. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! 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 Facebook, Mastodon and Substack!
  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 (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif) – aicentrist.com – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Formula 1 chief appalled to find team using Excel to manage 20,000 car parts (ArsTechnica, 20 March 2024)
  10. Elon Musk sues OpenAI over AI threat (Courthouse News Service; 29 February 2024)
  11. OpenAI and Elon Musk (Open AI Blog; 5 Match 2024)
  12. In Latest A.I. War Escalation, Elon Musk Releases Chatbot Code (NYTimes, 17 March 2024)
  13. Elon Musk sues OpenAI over AI threat (Courthouse News Service; 29 February 2024)
  14. OpenAI and Elon Musk (Open AI Blog; 5 Match 2024)
  15. In Latest A.I. War Escalation, Elon Musk Releases Chatbot Code (NYTimes, 17 March 2024)
  16. Report: Apple’s iPhone AI Plans May Leverage Google Gemini (Thurrott; 18 March 2024)
  17. Copilot Pro Users Can Now Access the AI Assistant in the Microsoft 365 Web Apps (Thurrott; 14 March 2024)
  18. Microsoft Brings GPT-4 Turbo to Free Version of Copilot (Thurrott; 13 March 2024)
  19. 4 Reasons to Use Microsoft Copilot Instead of ChatGPT (MakeUseOf, 14 March 2024)
  20. Wes’ AI Learning site and preso slides “Stories About AI” ai.wesfryer.com
  21. House passes a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban if Chinese owner refuses to sell (AP; 13 March 2024)
  22. Why Trump is now against a TikTok ban (Washington Post, 12 March 2024)
  23. The U.S. Wants to Ban TikTok for the Sins of Every Social Media Company (404; 13 March 2024)
  24. Automakers Are Sharing Consumers’ Driving Behavior With Insurance Companies (NYTimes, 11 March 2024)
  25. How to consume information in times of conflict (DFR Lab, 18 Mar 2024)
  26. A Forensics Expert on Princess Kate’s Photo—and How Credentialing Tools Can Help Build Trust in a World of Increasing Uncertainty (Time; 12 March 2024)
  27. Walmart Brings the Popular MacBook Air With the M1 Chip to Its Shelves (Walmart Corporate; 15 March 2024)
  28. “Disabling cyberattacks” are hitting critical US water systems, White House warns (ArsTechnica, 19 March 2024)
  29. Four big questions for DC following massive health care hack (Politico, 18 March 2024)
  30. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: [PODCAST] Exploring the Intersection of Information Integrity, Race, and US Elections by Tech Policy Press and Mastodon.Education suspended by Mastodon.Cloud and War Over TikTok
  31. Jason’s Geek of the Week: innovationrunsthroughit.com
EdTechSR Ep 322: Openness Challenges Authoritarianism” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 258 Facebook Kills Podcasts

Welcome to episode 258 (“Facebook Kills Podcasts”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 4, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news, Microsoft news, privacy issues, the end of Facebook / Meta’s podcasting platform, Wordle’s impact on New York Times subscription rates, TMobile’s tempting home connectivity offer, and more! Geeks of the Week included “How to view your internal Chrome OS engagement metrics,” a podcast audio recording of Wes’ recent ATLIS presentation, “Teaching About Conspiracy Theories And Media Literacy,” and Google’s Teachable Machine. 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. Google Docs’ updated tables are designed for project management (The Verge; 3 May 2022)
  10. YouTube fully rolls out Super Thanks, here’s how to enable it for your channel (9 to 5 Google; 26 April 2022)
  11. Google Docs is reorganizing and shrinking toolbar menus on the web (9 to 5 Google; 26 April 2022)
  12. Google previews I/O 2022 schedule, ‘What’s new’ keynotes, and sessions (9 to 5 Google; 28 April 2022)
  13. Google fires another AI researcher who reportedly challenged findings (updated) (Engadget, 2 May 2022)
  14. Windows 11 is getting a big security upgrade — may require OS reinstall (Tom’s Guide; 7 April 2022)
  15. Could Windows 12 become Microsoft’s first cloud-based operating system? (Tech Radar; 11 April 2022)
  16. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet promises $50/month lifetime rate, $20 off for phone subscribers, covering fees for switchers (9 to 5 Mac; 4 May 2022)
  17. Mental health apps have terrible privacy protections, report finds (The Verge; 2 May 2022)
  18. What Your Period Tracker App Knows About You (Consumer Reports, 28 Jan 2020)
  19. Data Broker Is Selling Location Data of People Who Visit Abortion Clinics (Motherboard, 3 May 2022)
  20. Why You Should Buy the Dumbest TV You Can Find (LifeHacker; 8 April 2022)
  21. Facebook is shutting down its podcast platform after less than a year (The Verge; 3 May 2022)
  22. Buying Wordle brought ‘tens of millions of new users’ to The New York Times (The Verge; 4 May 2022)
  23. Jason’s Geek of the Week: How to view your internal Chrome OS engagement metrics (About Chromebooks)
  24. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Podcast – Teaching About Conspiracy Theories And Media Literacy and Google’s Teachable Machine

EdTechSR Ep 254 ChromeOS Oh My

Welcome to episode 254 (“ChromeOS Oh My”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 30, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google / ChromeOS news, Microsoft news, Apple news, technology headlines from the ongoing war in Ukraine, BigTech / The “Tech Correction,” and one article about Space Force. Geeks of the Week included an excellent Ezra Klein interview with Margaret Atwood, and early bird pricing for NCCE 2022! 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. Chrome OS virtual desks are getting a useful upgrade (About Chromebooks; 24 March 2022)
  10. Cameyo introduces PWA Windows apps for Chrome OS (Chrome Unboxed; 23 March 2022)
  11. Chrome OS: “A better Linux than Linux” so you can forget about Windows (TechRadar, 18 March 2022)
  12. How to identify images in Chrome using Google Lens (Chrome Unboxed; 23 March 2022)
  13. Chrome for Mac, Windows, & CrOS add Side Panel for accessing bookmarks, Reading List [U] (9 to 5 Google; 25 March 2022)
  14. Windows 11 version 22H2: Everything we know about Microsoft’s next big OS update (Windows Central; 23 March 2022)
  15. Microsoft Surface Laptop Se Review: Just Get A Chromebook (The Verge; 25 March 2022)
  16. Apple is reportedly planning a 15-inch MacBook Air (The Verge; 25 March 2022)
  17. Russia is risking the creation of a “splinternet”—and it could be irreversible (Technology Review; MIT Technology Review; 17 March 2022)
  18. How War in Ukraine Roiled Facebook and Instagram (NY Times, 30 March 2022)
  19. TikTok faces investigation into its impact on young people’s mental health (The Verge; 8 March 2022)
  20. Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok (Washington Post, 30 March 2022)
  21. WithFed Up  Google, Conspiracy Theorists Turn to DuckDuckGo (The New York Times; 23 February 2022)
  22. The free speech search engine that never was (Recode; 16 March 2022)
  23. Space Force Gets Roughly 40% Increase in Biden Request (Defense One, 28 March 2022)
  24. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Margaret Atwood on Stories, Deception and the Bible (Ezra Klein Podcast)
  25. Jason’s Geek of the Week: NCCE 2022 Early Bird Pricing Ends THURSDAY!

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 documentaryControl-F Project
  33. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Vista Create

EdTechSR Ep 234 Regulate Facebook Please

Welcome to episode 234 (“Regulate Facebook Please”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 6, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Microsoft news including how to update to Windows 11 without waiting in line, recommended preparatory steps to take BEFORE upgrading to Windows 11, and positive reviews of the new Surface Pro 8 computer. In Google news, the forthcoming Chromebook launcher with smaller icons and folders, the option to create meeting notes directly connected to a Google Calendar event, and YouTube Germany’s suspension of Russia Today’s (RT’s) misinformation plagued channel, were highlighted. Facebook’s mysterious global service outage from this week and the impact of the related WhatsApp’s outage on small businesses were also addressed. Several articles summarizing Frances Haugen’s testimony this week before Congress about the knowing malicious acts of Facebook to favor profits over safety or ethics were discussed. Google’s quest to imagine and invent “the next phase of online search” was the final article discussed in this weeks’ show. Geeks of the Week for Wes included the new app Audm for listening to longform audio versions of news articles, the Project N95 website for ordering COVID masks, and Hope Haley’s (an 8th grade YouTuber at Dr. Fryer’s school) YouTube channel. Jason’s Geek of the Week was the TMobile Google Drive Plan, free for subscribers. 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. How to upgrade to Windows 11 without waiting in line (The Verge; 4 October 2021)
  9. Planning to upgrade to Windows 11? A checklist before you do (The Verge; 4 October 2021)
  10. Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Review: The Best Of Both Worlds (The Verge; 5 October 2021)
  11. Smaller Icons And Folders Give The New Chromebook Launcher An Air Of Maturity (Chrome Unboxed; 5 October 2021)
  12. New Google Calendar shortcut lets you quickly create meeting notes in Docs (9 to 5 Google; 5 October 2021)
  13. YouTube deletes RT′s German YouTube channels after COVID misinformation strike (DW News, 28 Sept 2021)
  14. Facebook is back online after a massive outage that also took down Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Oculus (The Verge; 5 October 2021)
  15. Everything You Need To Know From The Facebook Whistleblower Hearing (The Verge; 5 October 2021)
  16. More than social media: The WhatsApp outage affected small businesses worldwide (NPR, 6 Oct 2021)
  17. 9 Horrifying Facts From the Facebook Whistleblower’s New 60 Minutes Interview (Gizmodo; 3 October 2021)
  18. [VIDEO] Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen: The 60 Minutes Interview (13.5 minutes)
  19. Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen tells lawmakers that meaningful reform is necessary ‘for our common good’ (Washington Post, 5 Oct 2021)
  20. Google Search’s Next Phase: Context Is King (The Verge; 29 September 2021)
  21. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Audm – Listen to Longform Journalism You Don’t Have Time to Readshop.projectn95.orgHope Haley on YouTube
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: T-Mobile Google Drive Plan

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 226 Big YouTube EDU Changes

Welcome to episode 226 (“Big YouTube EDU Changes”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 4, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed news articles on Microsoft Office running on Chromebooks, PWAs (progressive web apps), emojis, cloud-based Windows 365 computers for rent, and the near-disaster on the International Space Station involving the new Nauka module from Russia. Problems with M1 MacBook displays, “The Day the Good Internet Died,” improvements to Google’s native office document editing, and substantial changes to the way YouTube can be used by students under 18 in schools were also highlighted. The security dangers of password autofill in browsers, the reliability of “Have I Been Pwned,” the influencer army hired by the White House to battle COVID disinformation, and the battle over remote work at large companies were also topics discussed in this week’s show. Several app options for “proving” your COVID vaccine status digitally were highlighted as well. Geeks of the Week included the online flight simulator Geo FS, Wes’ presentation for faculty at his school, “Google Classroom August 2021: Updates and Tips,” and Wes’ recent blog post, “More YouTube Restriction Options for Schools.” 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 is pushing Chromebooks to run Office on web? Not exactly. (About Chromebooks; 29 July 2021)
  9. Turn any website into a real Mac app with Fluid
  10. Jason’s favorite Emoji website: getemoji.com
  11. Microsoft is ready to rent Windows 365 cloud PCs for as little as $20 per month (The Verge; 2 August 2021)
  12. It Was His Day Off. Then the Space Station Went for a Spin (NY Times, 2 Aug 2021)
  13. Nauka module’s near miss raises concerns about future of space station (ArsTechnica, 2 Aug 2021)
  14. M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Displays Randomly Cracking for Users (iPhone Hacks; 30 July 2021)
  15. Google Meet is now a simple PWA on Mac, Windows, and Chrome OS (9 to 5 Google; 30 July 2021)
  16. The Day the Good Internet Died (The Ringer; 21 July 2021)
  17. Google’s Native Office Editing Becomes More Native – Directly Opens Links, Skips The Preview (Chrome Unboxed; 2 August 2021)
  18. Google introduces new Chrome, YouTube defaults for education accounts (The Tribune, 30 June 2021)
  19. Safer learning with Google for Education (Google Education Blog, 29 June 2021)
  20. Control access to Google services by age (Google Support article)
  21. Manage your organization’s YouTube settings (Google Support article)
  22. Add YouTube video approvers for your organization (Google Support article)
  23. Don’t let your browser autofill your passwords — here’s why (Tom’s Guide; 29 July 2021)
  24. Can You Trust Have I Been Pwned? (Make Use Of, 24 July 2021)
  25. To Fight Vaccine Lies, Authorities Recruit an ‘Influencer Army’ (NY Times via Yahoo News, 2 Aug 2021)
  26. Big tech companies are at war with employees over remote work (ArsTechnica, 1 Aug 2021)
  27. You’re going to be asked to prove your vaccination status. Here’s how to do it. (Washington Post, 3 Aug 2021)
  28. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Geo FS — online flight simulator
  29. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: “Google Classroom August 2021: Updates & Tips” (Slides 18 & 19 on YouTube access restrictions for students) and “More YouTube Restriction Options for Schools”

EdTechSR Ep 225 Beware Video Embeds

Welcome to episode 225 (“Beware Video Embeds”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 28, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed media literacy, privacy, changing iOS app icons, Microsoft Edge’s latest version, Google news, social media updates from Clubhouse, Twitter and Facebook, and a cautionary tale from a defunct video sharing site. 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. Majority of Covid misinformation came from 12 people, report finds (The Guardian, 17 July 2021)
  9. Disinformation for Hire, a Shadow Industry, Is Quietly Booming (NY Times, 25 July 2021)
  10. QR Codes Are Here to Stay. So Is the Tracking They Allow (New York Times; 26 July 2021)
  11. This outed priest’s story is a warning for everyone about the need for data privacy laws (Recode, 21 July 2021)
  12. iOS 14.7 lets you change iPhone app icons. Here’s how to make your home screen ‘aesthetic’ (cNet; 25 July 2021)
  13. Microsoft Edge 92 starts rolling out to mainstream users (ZDNet; 22 July 2021)
  14. Classroom adapts for the future of learning and teaching (Google Blog; 22 July 2021)
  15. YouTube’s newest monetization tool lets viewers tip creators for their uploads (TechCrunch, 20 July 2021)
  16. Google is finally doing something about Google Drive spam (ArsTechnica, 23 July 2021)
  17. Google pushed a one-character typo to production, bricking Chrome OS devices (Ars Technica; 22 July 2021)
  18. Clubhouse is now out of beta and open to everyone you (TechCrunch, 21 July 2021)
  19. Twitter is shutting down Fleets on August 3, citing low usage (TechCrunch, 14 July 2021)
  20. How Facebook let fake engagement distort global politics: a whistleblower’s account (Guardian, 12 April 2021) via Your Undivided Attention (9 July 2021)
  21. Twitter for iOS begins testing dislike button for some users (9to5Mac, 21 July 2021)
  22. Twitter shares a first look at the ‘big overhaul’ coming to TweetDeck (The Verge; 20 July 2021)
  23. A Defunct Video Hosting Site Is Flooding Normal Websites With Hardcore Porn (Motherboard; 22 July 2021)
  24. Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Present at NCCE 2022!Gravy Podcast on Prison Food
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Google’s Paint with Music and Digital Learning Activities with Google Drawings and Twitter Bookmarks

EdTechSR Ep 223 Windows 11 Underwhelms

Welcome to episode 223 (“Windows 11 Underwhelms”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 14, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the plethora of proposed “big tech regulations” in the U.S. Congress (our ongoing “tech correction,”) the underwhelming and somewhat confusing release of Windows 11 by Microsoft, AI content filtering by TikTok, and some articles about educational technology lessons school leaders should heed after our experiences during COVID with remote and hybrid learning models. Google and ChromeOS news including the release of the desktop version of the Opera browser for Android (and now ChromeOS) in the Google Play Store, and the sad change in Audacity Software (an open source project) into the “surveillance capitalism” fold with user data tracking. Geeks of the Week included SimpleNote by Automattic and a great new video from Veritasium YouTuber (Derek Muller) titled, “The Biggest Myth in Education,” focusing on learning styles and the complete LACK of educational research support for this theory. 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. France fines Google $593 million for not negotiating ‘in good faith’ with news publishers. (NY Times, 13 July 2021)
  9. Is This the Big Tech Breakup We’ve Been Waiting For (NYT Sway Podcast, 17 June 2021)
  10. What Trump’s Facebook, Google and Twitter lawsuits really mean for his campaign (MSNBC, 9 July 2021)
  11. YouTube recommendations serve up most videos viewers wish they’d never seen, study says (CNet; 7 July 2021)
  12. The Pentagon cancels its $10 billion JEDI cloud-computing contract (NYTimes, 6 July 2021)
  13. Microsoft announces Windows 11, with a new design, Start menu, and more (24 June 2021)
  14. Here’s everything Microsoft is removing from Windows 11 (The Verge; 24 June 2021)
  15. Windows 11 will create heaps of needless trash (Noah Bailey Blog; 27 June 2021)
  16. Did Microsoft make the right choice with Amazon’s Appstore for Windows 11? (Android Police; 27 June 2021)
  17. TikTok will automate video removals for nudity and violence (Engadget, 9 July 2021)
  18. 6 Things About Remote Learning Teens Actually Loved (and Should Be Here to Stay) (Parents, 8 July 2021)
  19. The post-COVID stickiness of hybrid school (Axios, 8 July 2021)
  20. Is Audacity Really Spyware? (Lifehacker; 6 July 2021)
  21. Opera becomes first alternative Android browser optimized for Chromebooks (ZDNet; 4 July 2021)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Simple Note (@simplenoteapp)
  23. Wes’ Geek of the Week: [VIDEO] The Biggest Myth In Education (@veritasium)