Welcome to episode 237 (“Fixing Social Media”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 3, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed an amazing Wall Street Journal article featuring 12 Internet and cultural visionaries on “How to Fix Social Media.” Other articles on the social media / “tech correction” topic included “Facebook’s Lost Generation,” Facebook’s name change to “Meta,” the impact of Zuckerberg’s dream to transform the web into a “Ready Player One” VR playground. The financial impact of Apple’s iPhone privacy changes, Google’s policy to remove under-18 photos from search results, the debut of MacOS Monterey, and reasons you do NOT need the new MacBook Pro were also topics of discussion. The long awaited (for Jason) arrival of MacOS M1 processor native Google Drive for Desktop, the death of iMovie Theater, Google’s facilitation of work/life separation on Android devices, and Google Calendar’s option to schedule “Focus Time” were also highlighted. The arrival of Adobe PhotoShop on the web for Chromebook users, powerful, web-based image editing tools, and Geeks of the Week including a new NASA astronaut bio video, a “Parent University” slideshow about online influencers, and the “Mindful Schools” website as “geeks of the week” rounded out this weeks’ show. 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!
Welcome to episode 214 (“Fair Use Victory”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 7, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a copyright/fair use victory for Google and software developers everywhere, Russia and China’s plans to host an in-person conference in June to further develop their plans for a joint lunar robotic base, and the departure of LG from the ranks of Android phone hardware manufacturers. Also in Google related news, the announced return of Google I/O (in virtual form) this May, new autosave features in Google Forms for enterprise education users, and a storage extension deadline for Google Workspace users were discussed topics. Apple’s forthcoming battery recalibration features in iOS 14.5 (for iPhone 11 and newer devices only,) the mechanics and carbon footprint of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in the art world, and exciting connectivity / infrastructure / digital divide related announcements from T-Mobile and the Biden administration were also highlighted. On the social media front, Twitter’s “fleets” feature (announced back in November 2020,) Jack Dorsey’s infamous $2.9 million NFT sale, Twitter’s flirtation with subscription models, and the challenges posed to federal archival agencies by Twitter’s lifetime ban on President Trump’s past tweets were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included LineageOS (for older Android handset owners) and a mind-blowing article and podcast from the New York Times and “The Daily” on TikTok influencers and the global cosmetics industry. 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.
Welcome to episode 136 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 29, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed school cybersecurity, a shocking iPhone security vulnerability for WhatsApp, NASA’s free media library, and copyright issues in Houston ISD as well as for YouTube Creators. Distorted political videos about Nancy Pelosi, Google’s disappointing move to disable ‘modern browser ad blocking extensions,’ and the new iPod Touch from Apple were also discussed. The availability of “Adobe Premiere Rush” for Android, Chromebook support expiration dates, and projected price increases for cheap Chromebooks were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included a Google Home podcast mystery, the killer robot documentary, “Slaughterbots,” and the “Against the Rules” podcast, from Michael Lewis. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.
Welcome to episode 116 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 29, 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 the continued growth of mobile broadband connectivity worldwide, the expanded availability of Google Fi, and varying opinions about Google’s new Pixel Slate tablet. The milestone last week of Microsoft surpassing Apple as the world’s most valuable company, Microsoft’s HoloLens AR goggle contract with the U.S. Army, and the scientist who defied the international community by using CRISPR to genetically engineer a human baby were also discussed. OpEds about the unpredictability of Internet effects as shown by the popularity of chess as an online spectator sport, and the rise of “surveillance capitalism” via targeted advertising were also highlighted. The successful landing of the Insight space probe on Mars this week and Europe’s threat to shut down Google News by charging for linking to 3rd party news websites were topics rounding out the show. 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 95 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 16, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the recent vote in the U.S. Senate to preserve net neutrality, Android-related updates from Google promoting more frequent security patches by smartphone manufacturers / OEMs, and the forthcoming Oneplus 6 Smartphone. The U.S. President’s reversal of a trade ban on ZTE smartphones in the United States, updates to Gmail, Google Drive, and Google News, and imminently expected announcements about new Chromebooks rounded out the Android and Google-focused news articles in the show. Computer security firm Kaspersky’s decision to relocate from Russia to Switzerland amidst continued concerns over its integrity, NASA’s plan to send a drone helicopter to Mars, and the recent Toronto Declaration calling on algorithms to respect human rights were also discussed headlines. Under the title of “Technology Correction,” the release of over 3500 advertisements funded by Russians to influence the 2016 US Presidential election were discussed, along with articles highlighting how over fifty percent of those ads focused on race and many ads targeted U.S. teens. Cambridge Analytica, which has been in the news constantly in the Facebook / Russian election influence story, declared bankruptcy but has apparently reformed as the company Emerdata. Wes shared his pessimism that these kinds of election psyops are going to continue unabated in the upcoming mid-term and regular term elections in the United States. Microsoft’s work on a $400 tablet to compete with the iPad rounded out the discussed tech news. Geeks of the week included “The Most Useful Podcast in the World” by Popular Mechanics (from Jason), and two from Wes: a YouTube video of Sylvia Martinez INTED2018 Keynote Speech, “The Maker Movement” and the July 15-20, 2018 Summer Institute in Digital Literacy. Check out our shownotes for links to all these articles and referenced resources, and please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates. Stay safe and stay savvy!
Welcome to episode 70 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 18, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google’s new “Advanced Protection” security mode, hacker threats in several US states to parents of students, Microsoft Windows 10 “Creator Updates,” and reports that our solar system has a mysterious “Super Earth” 9th planet well beyond the orbit of Neptune. Additional topics included several updates to Google Earth and Google Maps mashups, recent Amazon advertising mistakes, the importance of media literacy education, and the emerging narrative of how Russian operatives appear to have subverted democracy in the U.S. 2016 Presidential election using Facebook targeted ads. “Speed round” article topics included a new Russian cryptocurrency, Netflix’ push for original movie and show content, Equifax hack blame falling on “one IT guy,” RSA encryption hacks, the cost of product placement advertisements, Eli Pariser’s “Filter Bubble,” and the secrets of Yahoo search. Geeks of the week included a $10 “FIDO U2F Security Key” and the weather website and app “Dark Sky.” Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and reach out to us if you listen to the show! The EdTech Situation Room is produced live each week (almost) on Wednesday nights at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain time. Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and stay savvy!
Welcome to episode 20 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 24, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the ascendency of smartphones as the primary media consumptive screen in U.S. households, NASA’s recent announcement to make all its research openly accessible, Google’s decision to discontinue Chrome apps for Mac and Windows, and Verizon’s continuing metamorphosis from a “baby bell” telco to a global corporate player in digital media. The November 2015 article in the Atlantic by Walter Kirn, “If You’re Not Paranoid, You’re Crazy” was also a catalyst for reflections in the show, as well as NASA’s press release about it’s newly installed docking portal in the International Space Station for commercial space vehicles from SpaceX, Boeing, and other companies. Check out all our podcast shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edtechSR. Please submit our short (6 question) listener survey using this link: http://wfryer.me/edtechsr
