EdTechSR Ep 323: Security Breaches Unfold

Welcome to episode 323 (“Security Breaches Unfold”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 3, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (AIcentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss significant security breaches and vulnerabilities that have surfaced across various platforms, impacting millions from AT&T customers to young public school students. The episode also explores the latest in generative AI with insights from recent collaborations between Amazon and Anthropic, and the ethical quandaries faced by AI researchers. From discussing the ease of phishing attacks targeting Apple users to the potential educational transformations by generative AI as viewed by MIT, the conversation highlights critical tech and education intersections. ‘Geeks of the Week’ includes innovative educational tools and insights into how AI-generated content is shaping digital interactions. 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, mastodon.education/@edtechsr 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. AT&T resets account passcodes after millions of customer records leak online (TechCrunch, 30 March 2024)
  10. Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests (MacRumors, 26 March 2024)
  11. Hackers are targeting a surprising group of people: young public school students (NPR, 13 March 2024)
  12. The Strange Story of the Teens Behind the Mirai Botnet: Their DDos Malware Threatened the Entire Internet (IEEE Spectrum 23 May 2023)
  13. ChatGPT no longer requires an account — but there’s a catch (TechCrunch 1 April 2024)
  14. Amazon and Anthropic deepen their shared commitment to advancing generative AI (Amazon; 27 March 2024)
  15. Generative AI and K-12 Education: An MIT Perspective (An MIT Exploration of Generative AI; 26 March 2024)
  16. Anthropic researchers wear down AI ethics with repeated questions (TechCrunch, 2 April 2024)
  17. How Spammers, Scammers and Creators Leverage AI-Generated Images on Facebook for Audience Growth (Stanford Internet Observatory, 18 March 2024)
  18. OpenAI’s voice cloning AI model only needs a 15-second sample to work (Verge, 20 March 2024)
  19. Sora: first impressions (OpenAI, 25 March 2024)
  20. A wildly popular game dubbed ‘Pokémon with guns’ has been forced to deny that its characters are a rip-off (Business Insider, 25 Jan 2024)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: going.com
  22. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: My 9 fav podcasts / My Podcast SubscriptionsSIFT Lesson VideosTired of Streaming? Free Blockbuster Libraries Offer an Alternative. (NYTimes, 21 March 2024) #GiftLink
Security Breaches Unfold (EdTechSR 323)” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 267 Stealing Your Cookies

Welcome to episode 267 (“Stealing Your Cookies”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 17, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a variety of ways to use another computer or tablet as a second monitor, rumors for Apple’s September 7th iPhone 14 event, and “The Trouble with Zooming Forever.” Hacker exploits of multi-factor authentication by “stealing your cookies,” our present era of “notification hell,” and a John Deere tractor hack highlighting “right to repair” issues were also discussed. Additional topics included an improved background blur coming for Google Meet videoconferences, the outcry for more computer science classes in schools, podcast guests paying big bucks to creators, and spotify’s addition of podcast creation tools to their app. Geeks of the Week included Free Email Etiquette Posters and a warning (for teachers and parents) about Influencer Andrew Tate. 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. Use iMac as monitor: How to create a Mac to Mac, PC to Mac, or iPad to Mac setup (9 to 5 Mac; 4 July 2022)
  10. Apple Planning to Hold iPhone 14 Event on September 7 (Verge, 17 Aug 2022)
  11. The Trouble With Zooming Forever (The Atlantic; 14 July 2022)
  12. Hackers are finding ways around multi-factor authentication. Here’s what to watch for (ZDNet; 16 August 2022)
  13. We live in notification hell (The Verge; 5 August 2022)
  14. A New Jailbreak for John Deere Tractors Rides the Right-to-Repair Wave (Wired, 13 Aug 2022)
  15. Better background blur for web-based video calls is in the works (Chrome Unboxed; 24 June 2022)
  16. Classroom GitHub
  17. A who’s who of CEOs is begging every school to teach computer science (The Verge; 13 July 2022)
  18. Podcast Guests Are Paying Up to $50,000 to Appear on Popular Shows (Bloomberg; 3 August 2022)
  19. Spotify adding podcast creation tool to its mobile app (9 to 5 Mac; 1 July 2022)
  20. Why can’t premium Android phones last as long as Amazon Kindles? (Tech Radar; 6 August 2022)
  21. Anker Charger
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Free Email Etiquette Posters
  23. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Warning about Influencer Andrew Tate

EdTechSR Ep 264 AirTags Are Powerful

Welcome to episode 264 (“AirTags Are Powerful”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 6, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news including Google Hangouts problems, eSignatures in Google Docs, and ChromeOS battery improvements. In Apple News, AirTag tracking problems, innovative ways to use AirTags, and the passage of the “Digital Markets Act” in Europe were discussed. Continued security concerns over TikTok and the billions of dollars being spent by schools for “high tech defensive systems” in the wake of mass shootings were topics rounding out this week’s show. Geeks of the Week included “Image Candy,” a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad. 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. Hangouts on Android and iOS stops working for many (9 to 5 Google; 4 July 2022)
  10. Google Docs adding built-in eSignature system to Workspace Individual (9 to 5 Google; 30 June 2022)
  11. New Chrome OS 105 feature could boost Chromebook battery life (About Chromebooks; 5 July 2022)
  12. ‘Altered Carbon’ actor Hannah Rose May shares recent AirTag tracking experience (9 to 5 Mac; 5 July 2022)
  13. 5 Places to Put an Apple AirTag That You Never Thought About (cNet; 5 July 2022)
  14. Digital Markets Act passes, could force Apple to allow competing app stores, and more (9 to 5 Mac; 5 July 2022)
  15. TikTok commits to changes to avoid App Store ban (1 July 2022)
  16. Senators Urge FTC to Investigate TikTok Over Chinese Access to User Data (PC Magazine, 6 July 2022)
  17. Schools Are Spending Billions on High-Tech Defense for Mass Shootings (NYTimes, 6 July 2022)
  18. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Image Candy and USB-C to USB-A adapter
  19. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Magic Keyboard for iPad

EdTechSR Ep 263 TikTok is Dangerous

Welcome to episode 263 (“TikTok is Dangerous”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 29, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed security and TikTok, Chromebook / ChromeOS updates, and font/styling updates for Google Forms. Nostalgia for the iPhone’s initial sale 15 years ago, the inevitable transition to USB-C for iOS devices, “the curse of our data,” and tweaks to Twitter were additional discussion topics this week. Geeks of the Week included Project Hail Mary, reflections on a robotics workshop and the video “PrimeCuber.” 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. An FCC commissioner calls on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, saying it’s a national security risk (Business Insider, 28 Jun 2022)
  10. Leaked Audio From 80 Internal TikTok Meetings Shows That US User Data Has Been Repeatedly Accessed From China (BuzzFeed News, 17 June 2022)
  11. Chromebooks have become the Swiss Army Knife of computing (Chrome Unboxed; 21 June 2022)
  12. Chromebooks get these 7 new Chrome OS 103 features (About Chromebooks; 28 June 2022)
  13. Google Forms gains more fonts and styling options (Chrome Unboxed; 22 June 2022)
  14. Mr. Chromebox (Custom coreboot firmware and firmware utilities for your Chromebook/Chromebox)
  15. 15 Years Ago Today, the iPhone Went On Sale (MacRumors, 29 Jun 2022)
  16. Avoiding USB-C on iPhones may get harder for Apple as Brazil considers mandate (ArsTechnica, 29 Jun 2022)
  17. Our Data Is a Curse, With or Without Roe (New York Times; 29 June 2022) – Gift Link
  18. Twitter tests ‘notes’ feature with 2,500 word limit (BBC News; 23 June 2022)
  19. Twitter Write: Notes (Official Twitter support page)
  20. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Project Hail Mary
  21. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Reflections on Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy (Part 1) and Primecuber (video)

EdTechSR Ep 257 Elon Buys Twitter

Welcome to episode 257 (“Elon Buys Twitter”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 27, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Elon Musk’s pending acquisition of Twitter, continued controversy over abusive uses of Apple’s AirTags, Apple’s new DIY phone repair service, and the updated Apple Studio Display webcam. On the Google Front, the trademark filing for the “Pixel Watch,” a new policy to remove search results “that dox you,” and the end of Ohio State University’s iPad 1:1 program were also discussed. BigTech bills moving through the US Congress, Ukrainian hacks of Russian IT infrastructure, and advanced drones in the Ukraine – Russian war were topics rounding out this week’s show. Geeks of the Week included Resilio File Sync, a video of a Chinese done warning on a residential balcony, and a new “Speed of Creativity” podcast. 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. Apple’s AirTags keep being tagged in domestic abuse cases (Digital Trends; 8 April 2022)
  10. Apple’s DIY repair service is now available in the US (The Verge; 27 April 2022)
  11. Here’s what the updated Apple Studio Display webcam looks like (The Verge; 27 April 2022)
  12. Google files trademark for ‘Pixel Watch’ ahead of device’s launch (9 to 5 Google; 22 April 2022)
  13. Google files trademark for Pixel Watch name (Verge, 22 April 2022)
  14. Google may now remove search results that dox you (The Verge; 27 April 2022)
  15. Ohio State University ends program to give iPads to new students (9 to 5 Mac; 27 April 2022)
  16. The Senate bill that has Big Tech scared (Wired, 9 April 2022)
  17. Chuck Schumer “Working Closely With Senator Klobuchar” to Whip Votes for Antitrust Bills (Intercept, 27 April 2022)
  18. Elon Musk and the $43 billion bid: all of the updates about his takeover of Twitter (The Verge)
  19. Trump says he won’t leave Truth Social, despite Musk’s Twitter takeover (The Verge; 25 April 2022)
  20. Elon Musk, Twitter’s next owner, provides his definition of “free speech” (ArsTechnica, 27 April 2022)
  21. Russia Is Being Hacked at an Unprecedented Scale (Wired, 27 April 2022)
  22. Ghost: The New Kamikaze Drone Ukraine Will Use to Battle Russia in Donbas (1945, 22 April 2022)
  23. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Resilio File Sync
  24. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Chinese Balcony Drone Threat and Podcast478: Updates and Classroom Favorites

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 246 Metaverse Rising

Welcome to episode 246 (“Metaverse Rising”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 19, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new Apple rumors about Mac Pro computers and a “portless” iPhone 14. New metaverse patents by WalMart and Meta (the company formerly known as Facebook) as well as the enormous challenges of moderating social media and the emerging metaverse specifically were highlighted. The Democratic bill to address surveillance capitalism by “banning online surveillance advertising” was discussed. A new study showing we’re spending a third of of our waking hours looking at our smartphone screens, A really fast ARM processor for Chromebooks, and fast new HP Chromebooks were also highlighted. The health and wellness app “Welltory” and the recent cyberattack against Albuquerque Public Schools were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included Podchaser.com, the Chrome extension OneTab and the amazing “Moonrise Podcast” from the Washington Post. 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. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. 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. Smaller Mac Pro with Apple Silicon to join Mac mini refresh in 2022 (Apple Insider; 2 January 2022)
  10. The iPhone 14 Is Unlikely to Be Portless, Here’s Why (Mac Rumors; 8 January 2022)
  11. Report: Apple Headset not an ‘all-day device,’ creating a metaverse ‘off limits’ (9 to 5 Mac; 9 January 2022)
  12. Walmart is getting serious about the metaverse (The Verge; 16 January 2022)
  13. How will Facebook keep its metaverse safe for users? (Financial Times, 12 Nov 2021)
  14. Facebook patents reveal how it intends to cash in on metaverse (Financial Times, 17 Jan 2022)
  15. The true cost of Amazon’s low prices (Recode, 13 Jan 2022)
  16. Democrats unveil bill to ban online ‘surveillance advertising’ (The Verge; 18 January 2021)
  17. We’re Spending a Third of Our Waking Hours Staring at Our Phones (PC Magazine; 12 January 2022)
  18. Mediatek’s New Kompanio 1380 ARM Processor Is Really, Really Fast [Video] (Chrome Unboxed; 19 January 2022)
  19. HP Unveils “Fortis” Brand For Blended Learning With Two Chromebooks In Tow (Chrome Unboxed; 18 January 2022)
  20. Welltory packs a lot of science into its app to measure your stress levels (TechCrunch, 8 Aug 2017)
  21. Albuquerque Schools Cancel Classes After Cyber Attack (Government Technology; 13 January 2022)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: podchaser.com
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: OneTab and Moonrise Podcast (Washington Post)

EdTechSR Ep 245 Roblox as Metaverse

Welcome to episode 245 (“Roblox as Metaverse”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 12, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a recent explosive Guardian article about Roblox and child labor. Rumored Apple glasses which auto-adjust to a user’s prescription, Windows 11 post-install tips, a hotel chain which ransomware inspired to drop WindowsOS for ChromeOS, and a Google Street View mafia arrest story were also highlighted article topics. Improvements to Google File Stream for Google Drive, live translated captions in Google Meet, T-Mobile’s blocking of iCloud Private Relay, and the overwhelming seriousness of the LOG4J security vulneratibility were topics rounding out this weeks’ show. Geeks of the Week included the DD-WRT open source router firmware project, the Milkeshake web design app, and Infinite Painter software. 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. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. 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. The trouble with Roblox, the video game empire built on child labour (The Guardian, 9 Jan 2022)
  10. “Tech Won’t Save Us” Podcast Episode: “How Roblox Exploits Children w/ Quintin Smith” https://pca.st/vk0h73a7
  11. Apple glasses could adjust lenses to match user’s prescription (Apple Insider; 11 January 2022)
  12. Windows 11 at First Glance: Here Are the First 10 Things You Should Do After Installing the New OS on Your PC (Tech Times; 4 January 2022)
  13. Windows 11 could soon run better on less powerful hardware (Tech Radar; 7 January 2022)
  14. Hotel chain converts Windows PCs to Chrome OS using CloudReady after ransomware attack (9to5 Google, 7 Jan 2022)
  15. A Google Street View car spotted a missing criminal and it led to an arrest (Mashable, 8 Jan 2022)
  16. G Suite File Stream Now Allows Personal Gmail Accounts To Sync Drive With Their PC Or Mac (Chrome Unboxed; 3 October 2020)
  17. Neverware CloudReady Download
  18. After ruining Android messaging, Google says iMessage is too powerful (ArsTechnica, 10 Jan 2022)
  19. Live Translated Captions Are Now Able In Google Meet To Reduce Language Proficiency Barriers (Chrome Unboxed; 12 January 2022)
  20. T-Mobile begins blocking iPhone users from enabling iCloud Private Relay in the US (9 to 5 Mac, 10 Jan 2022)
  21. The FTC Wants Companies to Find Log4j Fast. It Won’t Be Easy (Wired, 10 Jan 2022)
  22. CISA director says the LOG4J security flaw is the “most serious” she’s seen in her career (CNBC, 16 Dec 2021)
  23. White House to launch COVID test-ordering site ‘by this weekend,’ reports say (The Verge; 12 January 2022)
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: DD-WRT
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Milkshake App (example) and: Infinite Painter (iOS & Google Play)

EdTechSR Ep 242 Birds Are Real

Welcome to episode 242 (“Birds Are Real”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 15, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the Log4j security flaw, bluetooth security risks, Apple AirTags used in harmful ways, changes for LastPass as it becomes an independent company (sold by LogMeIn), Life360’s announced purchase of Tile and the possible privacy implications, and the fascinating (and admittedly false) Gen Z conspiracy theory “Birds Aren’t Real.” Adobe’s launch of “Creative Cloud Express” to replace Adobe Spark Post, Pixlr’s enhancements for stylus users, and a possible solution to solve the rural-urban digital divide were also discussed topics. The security (or insecurity) of a Chromebook post-ChromeOS updates, the “snooping detection” included in ChromeOS 98, and reasons to update to iOS 15.2 were security related articles rounding out this week’s show. Geeks of the Week included the National Geographic “Storytellers Summit” January 26-28, 2022, the Google Canvas web-based drawing platform (free!), and the New York Times Best of 2021 lists. 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. NOTE WE WILL NOT HAVE A SHOW ON DECEMBER 22, but will be back on December 29th. 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. ‘The Internet Is on Fire’ – Java framework security flaw / issue (Wired, 10 Dec 2021) – Daily Mail clickbait
  9. Kamala Harris is right to be wary of Bluetooth headphones (cNet; 8 December 2021)
  10. Apple AirTags become useful tool for Canadian carjackers (cNet; 8 December 2021)
  11. Apple releases Android app to help find sneaky AirTags (The Verge; 12 December 2021)
  12. LastPass working on a ‘delightful’ mobile app as it becomes an independent company (9 to 5 Google; 14 December 2021)
  13. Life360 makes millions selling location data, and it’s about to buy Tile (The Verge; 9 December 2021)
  14. Birds Aren’t Real, or Are They? Inside a Gen Z Conspiracy Theory (New York Times; 9 December 2021)
  15. Adobe launches Creative Cloud Express, a new app that simplifies its powerful editing tools (The Verge; 13 December 2021)
  16. Pixlr Photo Editing Web App Gains Pen Pressure, More Exciting Features For 2022 (Chrome Unboxed; 7 December 2021)
  17. How to solve the rural-urban digital divide (High Country News; 6 December 2021)
  18. How secure is a Chromebook after it stops getting Chrome OS updates? (About Chromebooks; 14 December 2021)
  19. Chrome OS 98 adds Chromebook snooping detection to watch your back (About Chromebooks; 8 December 2021)
  20. Here’s why you should update your iPhone to iOS 15.2 (9 to 5 Mac; 13 December 2021)
  21. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Storyteller’s Summit by National Geographic: Jan 26-28, 2022 and Google Canvas
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: New York Times Best of 2021

EdTechSR Ep 241 Twitter Upgrade Benefits

Welcome to episode 241 (“Twitter Upgrade Benefits”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 8, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the monetization of user location data (including minors) by Life360 and other companies, Twitter’s new “Twitter Blue” upgrade service, and Instagram’s forthcoming chronological feed feature. The latest chapter in the Apple vs. Epic legal battle,Microsoft’s new Office UI, and a surprising discouragement by MS Windows to users downloading the Chrome browser. The story of Chinese superstar Peng Shuai’s courageous accusations of sexual assault against a high ranking government official was discussed, and her subsequent disappearance as part of a government campaign to silence her voice as well as others speaking out for women’s rights in China. Google’s foray into 3D telepresence and a backstory update on the Missouri governor’s mystifying accusation of a journalist as a hacker for viewing public webpage source code were discussed. The release of ChromeOS 96 and the developing “shadow war in space” between the United States, Russia and China were final topics in this week’s show. Geeks of the week included a great Scribble Maps tutorial from Richard Byrne, and an excellent Ezra Klein Show podcast about “superforecasters.” 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. Life360 reality tweet: “”You can watch where your kids are, and so can anyone who buys this information”
  9. The Popular Family Safety App Life360 Is Selling Precise Location Data on Its Tens of Millions of Users (The MarkUp, 6 Dec 2021)
  10. There’s a Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data (The MarkUp, 30 Sep 2021)
  11. Twitter will now let you pay to undo tweets and read ad-free news in the US (The Verge, 9 Nov 2021)
  12. Instagram says it’s working a new chronological feed option, could launch in early 2022 (9to5Mac, 8 Dec 2021)
  13. Epic v. Apple ruling put on hold after appeals court grants a stay (The Verge, 8 Dec 2021)
  14. Microsoft’s new Office UI is now rolling out to everyone (The Verge, 2 Dec 2021)
  15. Microsoft’s new Windows prompts try to stop people downloading Chrome (The Verge, 2 Dec 2021)
  16. Why Peng Shuai Has China’s Leaders Spooked (NY Times, 2 Dec 2021)
  17. Beijing Silenced Peng Shuai in 20 Minutes, Then Spent Weeks on Damage Control (NY Times, 8 Dec 2021)
  18. Here’s how Google’s experimental 3D telepresence booth works (The Verge, 2 Dec 2021)
  19. Video: Gavin’s Holographic teleconference with Bighead – Silicon Valley (Beware of NSFW language)
  20. Emails show what happened before Missouri gov. falsely called journalist a “hacker” (ArsTechnica, 3 Dec 2021)
  21. Microsoft Makes Breakthrough in the Quest to Use DNA as Data Storage (Gizmodo, 2 Dec 2021)
  22. Chrome OS 96 rolling out: Camera tweaks, Nearby Share in Android apps, more (9to5Google, 20 Nov 2021)
  23. Opinion: A shadow war in space is heating up fast (Washington Post, 30 Nov 2021)
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Scribble Maps – Draw on Google Maps and More Without an Account (Richard Byrne, 19 Nov 2021)
  25. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Predicting the Future Is Possible. ‘Superforecasters’ Know How (Ezra Klein Show on NY Times, 3 Dec 2021