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 218 Facebook’s Doom Looms

Welcome to episode 218 (“Facebook’s Doom Looms”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 5, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the decision of the Facebook Oversight Board to maintain (for now) Donald Trump’s ban on the platform, Section 230 and possible tech company regulation by the US Congress, and “the normalization of deviance” on Facebook. Twitter’s AI bot flagging ‘mean tweets,’ Facebook’s plea to users to allow life tracking on iOS 14.5, Signal’s jarring (and revealing) advertisement campaign on Facebook, and China’s efforts to dominate the global electric car market were also discussed. A new CRISPR-challenger for gene editing, a decade old Dell security flaw, AirTags and privacy, and news from the ongoing Apple vs. Epic lawsuit were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included some recommended Star Wars videos on YouTube and Hacker News. 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. Facebook ban on Trump upheld by Facebook Oversight Board, but decision opens door to his possible return (USA Today, 5 May 2021)
  9. Trump ban: Republicans threaten to break up Facebook after Oversight Board decision (Fox News, 5 May 2021)
  10. Video: ‘Nightmare situation for Facebook’: What the Trump ruling means (CNN, 5 May 2021)
  11. Good Riddance, Donald Trump? (OpEd by Kara Swisher, NYT, 5 May 2021) – via @pgeorge
  12. Section 230 (English WikiPedia)
  13. Facebook and the Normalization of Deviance (New Yorker, 2 May 2021)
  14. Twitter begins to show prompts before people send ‘mean’ replies (NBC News, 5 May 2021)
  15. Donald Trump’s ‘social media platform’ has launched and it’s just a blog (The Verge; 4 May 2021)
  16. Facebook encourages iOS 14.5 users to enable tracking so its apps remain ‘free of charge’ (9 to 5 Mac; 2 May 2021)
  17. Signal Tries to Run the Most Honest Facebook Ad Campaign Ever, Immediately Gets Banned (Gizmodo; 4 May 2021)
  18. As Cars Go Electric, China Builds a Big Lead in Factories (NY Times, 4 May 2021)
  19. Harvard scientists create gene-editing tool that could rival CRISPR (Engadget, 1 May 2021)
  20. Dell security flaw from 2009 affects ‘hundreds of millions’ of PCs: How to fix it (PC Magazine; 5 May 2021)
  21. How to Set Up Every iOS 14.5 Feature Worth Knowing About (LifeHacker; 5 May 2021)
  22. AirTag review: An easy-to-use item tracker empowered by a network of a billion iPhone users (9 to 5 Mac; 4 May 2021)
  23. I tracked my kid with Apple’s Airtags to test its privacy features (CNN; 5 May 2021)
  24. The Epic vs. Apple Hearing Is Already a Disaster (Gizmodo, 3 May 2021)
  25. As Epic case begins, senior Google engineer undermines one of Apple’s arguments (9 to 5 Mac; 3 May 2021)
  26. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Celebrating May the 4th in a Galaxy Far, Far Away and Star Wars 1978 Remix (Lubbock, Texas)
  27. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Hacker News

EdTechSR Ep 215 Advertising is Complicated

Welcome to episode 215 (“Advertising is Complicated”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 14, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google’s new advertisement targeting technology initiative, privacy and advertisement-opt out tools, and Google search’s new product review prioritization changes. Slowdowns with AMD Ryzen Chromebooks. videoconferencing improvements in Chrome 90, and Google Lens OCR capabilities coming to the desktop were also highlighted. The continued advance of Moore’s Law and artificial intelligence, Apple’s upcoming “Spring Loaded” event predictions, Tim Cook’s “flea market” opinion of Epic Games’ lawsuit, and the new FCC speed test app were discussed. The importance of a ‘digital will’ and 23 year old coder who kept QAnon online were articles rounding out this week’s show. Geeks of the Week included a video on selecting a backyard BBQ smoker and the image background removal tool, remove.bg. 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. Google Is Testing Its Controversial New Ad Targeting Tech in Millions of Browsers. Here’s What We Know. (EFF, 20 March 2021) and amifloced.org
  9. Google’s FLoC Is a Terrible Idea (EFF, 3 March 2021)
  10. Google Ad Personalization Settings
  11. Jumbo Privacy
  12. YourAdChoices Advertising Opt Out (be sure to disable ad blockers before visiting / running this)
  13. Digital Advertising Alliance’s Self-Regulatory Principles
  14. Google Search now prioritizing in-depth research when ranking product reviews (9 to 5 Google; April 8 2021)
  15. AMD Ryzen Chromebooks Suffering Massive Slow-downs When Not Plugged In (ChromeUnboxed; 14 April 2021)
  16. Chrome 90 Should Make Your Video Calls A Bit Smoother (ChromeUnboxed; 14 April 2021)
  17. Google Lens expands beyond mobile and comes to desktop web with OCR in Google Photos (9 to 5 Google; 11 April 2021)
  18. A new era of innovation: Moore’s Law is not dead and AI is ready to explode (SiliconAngle; 10 April 2021)
  19. Apple officially announces Spring Loaded event for April 20th (The Verge; 13 April 2021)
  20. Tim Cook: Epic wants to turn the App Store into a ‘flea market’ (9 to 5 Mac; 12 April 2021)
  21. The FCC wants you to test your internet speeds with its new app (The Verge; 12 April 2021)
  22. Who will deal with your online presence when you die? How to create a ‘digital will’ (Guardian, 10 April 2021)
  23. A 23-Year-Old Coder Kept QAnon Online When No One Else Would (Bloomberg, 14 April 2021)
  24. Wes’ Geek of the Week: [VIDEO] Which Backyard BBQ Smoker / Grill Should I Buy?! (37 min)
  25. Jason’s Geek of the Week: www.remove.bg – Quick and Dirty Background Eraser for Images

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 143

Welcome to episode 143 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 31, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s proposed “SMART Act” (the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology Act), the state of adblocking online in mid-2019, and amazing developments in the world of eSports with a recent Fortnight payout of over $30 million for a single tournament. Apple’s quarterly announcements including its continued transition to services for revenue, the implications of those trends for Apple portable hardware in schools, and ChromeOS updates including facial recognition “face unlock” as well as continued changes to default Flash support were also highlighted. Additional headlines analyzed during the show included FaceApp’s terms of service and privacy implications for users, the FTC’s class action lawsuit settlement against Equifax, Google’s banning of certain DIY advertisements for iFixIt, continued calls for smartphone backdoor encryption by the US Department of Justice, and an incredible “classified artificial brain” project underway by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in the United States. Geeks of the Week included the “Unreal Mobile” smartphone service, the new website “”Hack the Moon,” and the podcast “Your Undivided Attention.” With the impending demise of “Google Hangouts on Air” for YouTube Live, this was our first show to use StreamYard.com as well as Restream.io to both live stream and archive our show simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Josh Hawley’s bill to limit your Twitter time to 30 minutes a day, explained (Recode, 31 July 2019)
  9. A lawmaker wants to end ‘social media addiction’ by killing features that enable mindless scrolling (Washington Post, 30 July 2019)
  10. How Phones Made the World Your Office, Like It or Not (New York Times, 31 July 2019)
  11. Fortnite World Cup has handed out $30 million in prizes, and cemented its spot in the culture (TechCrunch, 28 July 2019)
  12. Kyle Bugha Giersdorf 16 wins Fortnite World Cup singles and $3 million (ESPN, 28 July 2019)
  13. Esports celebs, influencers could push prize pools to new heights (ESPN, 28 July 2019)
  14. Adblocking: How About Nah? (EFF, 25 July 2019)
  15. The iPhone now makes up less than half of Apple’s business (The Verge, 30 July 2019)
  16. Apple Card: company reveals credit card launching next month (The Guardian, 30 July 2019)
  17. Google Chrome 76 arrives, makes it harder to use Flash and easier to dodge paywalls (The Verge, 30 July 2019)
  18. Face Unlock Coming Soon To Chrome OS And May Debut With ‘atlas’ Alongside Pixel 4 (ChromeUnboxed, 31 July 2019)
  19. FaceApp: Deleting it doesn’t mean you get your data back (CNN Business, 26 July 2019)
  20. FTC says ‘you will be disappointed’ if you choose $125 for Equifax payout (Verge, 31 July 2019)
  21. Equifax Breach Official Claim Filing Website (FTC)
  22. An Open Letter to the FTC on Google’s Banning of Repair Business Ads (iFixit; 16 July 2019)
  23. Tech firms “can and must” put backdoors in encryption, AG Barr says (ArsTechnica, 23 July 2019)
  24. IT’S SENTIENT: Meet the classified artificial brain being developed by US intelligence programs (Verge, 31 July 2019)
  25. Japan once again shoots a bullet at an asteroid… and the video is amazing (SyFyWire, 29 July 2019)
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Unreal Mobile
  27. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Hack The Moon (@wehackthemoon) – VIDEO: “Deciphering The Vast Scale of the Universe” and Your Undivided Attention Podcast (@HumaneTech_)
  28. Our livestreaming tools: StreamYard.com and Restream.io

EdTech Situation Room Episode 142

Welcome to episode 142 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 24, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed why data privacy is complicated, the FTC’s $5 billion fine of Facebook, the limitations of SMS for 2 factor authentication (2FA) / multi-factor authentication (MFA), and exciting recent Apollo 11 50 year anniversary moon landing media coverage. Updates to Google’s smartwatch software (WearOS) as well as ChromeOS, Apple’s expected announcement of its new $3000 MacBook portable, the return of MDM-powered parental control apps like MyPact to the iOS App Store, and Apple’s pleas to avoid 25% tariffs on Chinese manufactured electronic components were also highlighted. The increasingly fractured landscape of podcasting (sadly coming to a walled garden paid app near you,) the prospect of “Peak Podcast” time, and Jason’s recent experiences with the wild world of urban electric scooters (where “the repo man” now thrives) were discussed with a remarkable tone of clarity laced with humor. Geeks of the Week included the DarkNet Diaries podcast (@darknetdiaries) and the “Timeline” tool from the Knight Foundation. 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. Why You Can’t Just Ask Social Media To Forget You (Mind Matters, 1 July 2019)
  9. F.T.C. Approves Facebook Fine of About $5 Billion (New York Times; 12 July 2019)
  10. Judge allows suit against AT&T after $24 million cryptocurrency theft (ArsTechnica, 23 July 2019)
  11. MOON LANDING: Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software (Wall Street Journal; 14 July 2019)
  12. Wear OS in 2019: Here’s where it is, and where it needs to be [Video] (9 to 5 Google; 23 July 2019)
  13. This Latest Addition Makes Virtual Desks In Chrome OS 76 My Favorite New Feature (Chrome Unboxed, 21 July 2019)
  14. LTE Chromebooks Could Soon Be Far More Common (Chrome Unboxed, 24 July 2019)
  15. 16-inch MacBook Pro rumored to launch in October with ~$3000 starting price (9 to 5 Mac; 23 July 2019)
  16. OurPact returns to App Store, reviving debates about Apple’s impartiality (ArsTechnica, 12 July 2019)
  17. Apple asks Trump administration to exclude Mac Pro parts from tariffs (ArsTechnica, 23 July 2019)
  18. How podcasts grew into a multimillion-dollar industry (The Verge; 19 July 2019)
  19. Have We Hit Peak Podcast? (New York Times; 18 July 2019)
  20. Apple Plans to Bankroll Original Podcasts to Fend Off Rivals (Bloomberg; 16 July 2019)
  21. They Said You Could Leave Electric Scooters Anywhere — Then The Repo Men Struck Back (The Verge; 24 July 2019)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: DarkNet Diaries podcast (@darknetdiaries)
  23. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Timeline by Knight Lab (@knightfdn) (Example: Fryer Family Media Timeline)
Fryer Family Media Timeline

EdTech Situation Room Episode 141

Welcome to episode 141 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 17, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the forthcoming commercial release of Boston Robotics’ “Spot” robot, Jony Ive’s announced departure from Apple, updates to the Apple portable laptops, and Amazon’s policy to basically keep user audio recordings from Alexa forever. Privacy concerns over the new FaceApp smartphone app, kids bullied into spending money in Fortnite, a Citizen’s Guide to Fake News, and the power of social media influencers were also explored. Additional topics included the possible return of Google Glass to help autistic children, YouTube educational playlists without recommended videos, and ‘the toxic potential of YouTube’s feedback loop.’ 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. Book: “Old Boston – As Wild As They Come” by Kent Brooks (@kentbrooks)
  9. Boston Dynamics’ robots are preparing to leave the lab — is the world ready? (The Verge, 17 July 2019)
  10. Jony Ive Is Leaving Apple (Wired; 27June 2019)
  11. Apple Macbook Air (2019) Review: The New Normal (The Verge; 17 July 2019)
  12. Amazon confirms it keeps your Alexa recordings basically forever (ArsTechnica; 3 July 2019)
  13. Can you trust FaceApp with your face? (BBC News; 17 July 2019)
  14. Fortnite is free, but kids are getting bullied into spending money (Polygon; 7 June 2019)
  15. A Citizen’s Guide to Fake News (Center for Information Technology & Society, University of California Santa Barbara)
  16. Don’t Scoff at Influencers. They’re Taking Over the World. (New York Times; 16 July 2019)
  17. Google Glass May Have an Afterlife as a Device to Teach Autistic Children (New York Times; 17 July 2019)
  18. YouTube is launching educational playlists that won’t show recommended videos (Verge, 11 July 2019)
  19. The Toxic Potential of YouTube’s Feedback Loop (Wired, 13 July 2019)
  20. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Reply All Podcast
  21. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Video Annotation Tools VideoAnt and Vialogues
methodshop by methodshop.com, on Flickr

methodshop” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by methodshop.com

EdTech Situation Room Episode 140

Welcome to episode 140 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 26, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed options for live webinars like ours when YouTube’s “Hangouts on Air” goes away later this year, exciting updates to ChromeOS, Google’s addition of media literacy lessons to its free digital citizenship curriculum, and the theoretical cost of an advertisement-free Internet. Additional topics included privacy protecting web browser options, Bill Gates regrets concerning Microsoft’s mobile phone operating system, journalism lobbyists pandering Congress for protective legislation from Google and Facebook, and the perils of public referendums on complicated economic and political issues. Geeks of the week included the “Bunk 1” app which utilizes impressive (and somewhat creepy) facial recognition for summer camp students, and the benefits of following app / service hashtags on Twitter. 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. Hangouts on Air livestreaming on YouTube ‘going away’ later this year (9 to 5 Google; 20 June 2019)
  9. OBS: Open Broadcaster Software
  10. Wirecast Encoding Software
  11. For LiveStreaming Zoom requires $15/month Pro account AND $40/month webinar add-on
  12. Facebook Live streaming via Open Broadcaster Software
  13. Chrome OS 75 Stable version arrives: Here’s what you need to know (About Chromebooks; 26 June 2019)
  14. Chrome OS 75 mounts third-party Android cloud storage to the native Files app on Chromebooks (About Chromebooks; 22 June 2019)
  15. Google Drive Offline Access Expands to All File Types (PC Magazine; 25 June 2019)
  16. No new Google-branded tablets; Pixel Slate is now a collector’s item (About Chromebooks; 20 June 2019)
  17. New (Old) Kid On The Block: Promethean Launches First Chromebox Ahead Of ISTE (ChromeUnboxed; 21 June 2019)
  18. Google’s new media literacy program teaches kids how to spot disinformation and fake news (TechCrunch, 24 June 2019)
  19. Apple Watch shipments grew 22% in 2018, thanks to popularity of the Series 4 (9 to 5 Mac; 25 June 2019)
  20. The cost of an ad-free internet: $35 more per month (Vox; 24 June 2019)
  21. It’s Time to Switch to a Privacy Browser (Wired, 16 June 2019)
  22. Microsoft missed out on $400B by letting Android take on Apple – Bill Gates (9 to 5 Google; 24 June 2019)
  23. Newspapers’ Embarrassing Lobbying Campaign (Politico, 10 June 2019)
  24. Richard Dawkins: Ignoramuses should have no say on our EU membership—and that includes me (Prospect Magazine, June 2016)
  25. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Bunk1 app (@/bunk1camps)
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Follow App/Service Hashtags on Twitter

EdTech Situation Room Episode 133

Welcome to episode 133 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 8, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed lots of news from this week’s Google I/O Conference. Topics included Google’s renewed focus on user privacy, shift in focus from search and answers to productivity, improved digital well-being tools, the mid-range price Pixel 3A smartphone, and the amazing “Google Lens” text to speech as well as translation capabilities. On the Microsoft front, the return of “PowerToys” to Windows10 and forthcoming support for Linux were discussed. Additional topics included NASA’s robotic detection of an earthquake on Mars, the election of a well known comedian (with no prior political experience) to the presidency in Ukraine thanks in part to social media, and the productivity drag of business communication apps like Slack. The failure of Energizer’s 18K mAh smartphone was also highlighted. Geeks of the week included a two part episode on the Chinese Surveillance State from the New York Times “The Daily” podcast, freely licensed photos from Wes and many other photographers on UnSplash, and the personal finance automation service, “Trim.” Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Google I/O 2019 event in 13 minutes (Verge, 7 May 2019)
  9. “Changing from a company that helps you find answers, to a company that helps you get things done” – Sundar Pachai (2:17 of opening keynote)
  10. Google’s Sundar Pichai: Privacy Should Not Be a Luxury Good (New York Times; 7 May 2019)
  11. Google expands digital well-being tools to include a new ‘Focus mode,’ adds improved parental controls to Android (TechCrunch, 7 May 2019)
  12. Google announces Pixel 3a and 3a XL w/ familiar design, lower price, Snapdragon 670, more (9 to 5 Google; 7 May 2019)
  13. Comment: Google Pixel 3a at (effectively) $300 is just a stupid good value (9 to 5 Google; 8 May 2019)
  14. Google Lens adding new tools to highlight menus, split checks, translate, more (9 to 5 Google; 7 May 2019)
  15. Google Confirms It Will Automatically Delete Your Data — What You Need To Know (Forbes; 5 May 2019)
  16. Google Maps and search are getting an Incognito mode (The Verge; 7 May 2019)
  17. Google is pushing back against ad tracking in Chrome (The Verge; 7 May 2019)
  18. Google Maps AR walking directions launches today on Google Pixel smartphones (9 to 5 Google; 7 May 2019)
  19. Microsoft brings PowerToys back to let anyone improve Windows 10 for power users (The Verge; 8 May 2019)
  20. Microsoft will ship a full Linux kernel in Windows 10 (The Verge; 6 May 2019)
  21. Microsoft Office 365 Accounts Under Attack — What You Need To Know (Forbes; 2 May 2019)
  22. NASA’s InSight Detects First Likely ‘Quake’ on Mars (NASA, 23 April 2019)
  23. Ukraine election result: Volodymyr Zelensky, comedian, is new president (Vox, 21 April 2019)
  24. The productivity pit: how Slack is ruining work (Vox / Recode, 1 May 2019)
  25. Energizer’s 18,000 mAh phone-battery monster is an Indiegogo flop (The Verge; 30 April 2019)
  26. 2 Part Episode on The Daily Podcast by The New York Times: The Chinese Surveillance State Part 1 and Part 2
  27. @wfryer on Unsplash and InfoPics
  28. Trim Financial Assistant (@ask_trim)