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This might be the best iPhone feature you never knew existed [Aamoth]

On 04/07/2022, in Apple, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, by Daniel Christian

This might be the best iPhone feature you never knew existed — from fastcompany.com by Doug Aamoth
Why doesn’t ‘Back Tap’ have its own ad? Or billboards? It’s amazing! And there are counterparts available for Android, too.

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Did you know that you could tap the back of your phone to make it quick-launch apps, settings, and shortcuts?

Although I feel mild shame for not knowing such a feature existed until now, I feel even greater joy that it’s part of my life. It’s life-changing, friends. Here’s how it works on an iPhone—and two ways to get something similar on an Android phone.

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The 20 best dyslexia resources for homeschoolers [Kessler]

On 03/26/2022, in accessibility / UDL, Apple, education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, Microsoft, parents/guardians, platforms, special needs, student-related, youth, by Daniel Christian

The 20 best dyslexia resources for homeschoolers — from raisinglifelonglearners.com Colleen Kessler

Excerpt:

Homeschooling a child with dyslexia can be a challenge, especially when you are struggling to find resources. I believe homeschooling is the best possible educational choice for your dyslexic child. You just need to right education and support. These are 20 of the best dyslexia resources out there for homeschoolers.

Also relevant/see:

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This Hilarious AR App Teaches Kids Financial Responsibility [Carlton]

On 03/11/2022, in Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), business, digital learning, economics, education technology, educational games / serious games, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, Google, homeschooling/homeschoolers, innovation, instructional design, K-12 related, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, multimedia, teachers, technologies for your home, XR - extended reality, youth, by Daniel Christian

This Hilarious AR App Teaches Kids Financial Responsibility — from vrscout.com by Bobby Carlton

Excerpts:

Adventures with Zeee Bucks is a mobile AR experience that is designed to help youngsters sharpen their financial skills by earning and saving Zeee bucks, and even help them save real money.
…
You can download the app today for free on the iOS and Android stores.

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Inclusive Hiring in Tech: How to Write More Inclusive Job Descriptions [from one of our nieces, Jill Bender]

On 03/07/2022, in Amazon, Apple, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), career development, computer science, corporate / business world, culture, innovation, participation, programming, technology (general), United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Inclusive Hiring in Tech: How to Write More Inclusive Job Descriptions — from one of our nieces, Ms. Jill Bender

Addendum on 3/8/22:

 

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Meet The Secretive Surveillance Wizards Helping The FBI And ICE Wiretap Facebook And Google Users [Brewster]

On 02/27/2022, in Apple, Facebook / Meta Platforms, Google, law schools, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, platforms, privacy, society, the downsides of technology, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Meet The Secretive Surveillance Wizards Helping The FBI And ICE Wiretap Facebook And Google Users — from forbes.com by Thomas Brewster
A small Nebraska company is helping law enforcement around the world spy on users of Google, Facebook and other tech giants. A secretly recorded presentation to police reveals how deeply embedded in the U.S. surveillance machine PenLink has become.

Excerpts:

PenLink might be the most pervasive wiretapper you’ve never heard of.
…
With $20 million revenue every year from U.S. government customers such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and almost every other law enforcement agency in the federal directory, PenLink enjoys a steady stream of income. That doesn’t include its sales to local and state police, where it also does significant business but for which there are no available revenue figures. Forbes viewed contracts across the U.S., including towns and cities in California, Florida, Illinois, Hawaii, North Carolina and Nevada.

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Some solid video editing applications for the Mac

On 02/17/2022, in Adobe, Apple, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, corporate universities / corporate training, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, higher education, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, skills, story, storytelling, tools, training / L&D, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Best Video Editing Software for Mac — from futurism.com by the editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner
Must-have software for creators in the age of YouTube.

Excerpt:

— Best Overall: Apple Final Cut Pro
— Best for Professionals: Adobe Premiere Pro 2022
— Best Budget: iMovie
— Best for Speed: Adobe Premiere Rush 2022
— Best Mid-Priced: Adobe Premiere Elements 2022

From DSC:
I appreciated the Specs, Pros, and Cons sections for each of the tools that made their cut. I also appreciated that they covered tools that could address a variety of audiences and budgets.

Also relevant/see:

WeVideo Classroom is the education spin-off of the famous video editing platform that is specifically aimed at teachers and students.

WeVideo is a very simple to use yet powerful [cloud-based] video editor which can be used by teachers to help students learn the art of video editing. Until this latest release, that meant using external tools or in-classroom teaching to get projects set and marked.

The idea behind WeVideo Classroom is to integrate all the tools into the editor itself so that teachers can set project assessments, monitor them, comment and ultimately mark them for student feedback.

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Tip of the week: Text extraction tools [Newman]

On 02/09/2022, in Apple, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, design, Google, productivity / tips and tricks, by Daniel Christian

Tip of the week: Text extraction tools  — from advisorator.com by Jared Newman

Excerpt:

With the launch of MacOS Monterey last fall, Apple introduced a neat feature called Live Text, which lets you highlight and copy text directly from images, both in Safari and in system apps such as Photos and Quick Look. (It also works on iOS.)

But what if you want to grab text from images in other apps or web browsers? And what if you don’t use MacOS at all? Luckily there are several other text extraction tools that can help.

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22 Augmented Reality Trends to Keep an Eye on for 2022 [Emrich]

On 02/04/2022, in 21st century, 3D, 5G, A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, Augmented Reality (AR), Blockchain, Canada, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, copyright/ownership/NFTs, creativity, cryptocurrencies, digital audio, digital video, emerging technologies, Facebook / Meta Platforms, future, Google, ideas, immersion, innovation, interactivity, internet, marketing/social marketing, marketplaces, Microsoft, platforms, programming, society, telecommunications, tools, trends, United States, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, wearables, web-based collaboration, Web3, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

22 Augmented Reality Trends to Keep an Eye on for 2022 — from linkedin.com by Tom Emrich

Excerpts:

#1 Metaverse remains at peak hype as the next iteration of the Internet feels so close but is actually much further away

#2 The smartphone continues to become an even more powerful augmented reality machine with advancements in chips, displays and connectivity

#3 Early consumer smartglasses reinforce the need for smartphones rather than attempt to replace them

The metaverse is defined differently by different people but for me, the metaverse is an aha moment. It is a realization by industry that the next wave of computing is comprised of a stack of emerging technologies (including blockchain, AI, IoT, AR and VR) that will all work together to create a fundamental shift in our relationship with technology. 

 

Also see:

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A positive and a negative example of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

On 01/31/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Apple, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), emerging technologies, ethics, Facebook / Meta Platforms, legislatures / government / legal, policy, privacy, UK, United States, by Daniel Christian

Both of the items below are from Sam DeBrule’s Machine Learnings e-newsletter:

Also see:

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How to easily hide ads, auto-play videos, & other clutter in every major browser. [Newman]

On 01/24/2022, in adjunct faculty, Apple, corporate universities / corporate training, education technology, faculty, internet, IT in HE, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, training / L&D, by Daniel Christian

Tip of the week: Make websites more readable — from fastcompany.com by Jared Newman
How to easily hide ads, auto-play videos, and other clutter in every major browser.

Excerpt:

Ever get annoyed by the intolerable reading experience on certain websites? By activating your browser’s reader mode, you can make web pages more reader-friendly by hiding ads, menus, pop-ups, and other distractions. Some web browsers even let you switch to reader mode automatically on specific websites. Here’s how:

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Another item to put on my radar. [Christian]

On 01/14/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Apple, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, emerging technologies, ideas, internet, Microsoft, multimedia, new business models, NVIDIA, play, by Daniel Christian

Addendum on 1/17/22:

  • Fortnite Is Back On Apple iOS, for Some Users — from threstreet.com by Tony Owusu
    Beta testers for Fortnite on streaming cloud gaming service GeForce Now will have access to the third-person shooter through Apple’s Safari web browser.
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An interesting looking AR-based app called “WWF Free Rivers”

On 01/03/2022, in Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, digital storytelling, education technology, immersion, innovation, K-12 related, XR - extended reality, by Daniel Christian

WWF Free Rivers puts an entire landscape in your hands. Through this immersive, augmented reality experience, you’ll discover a river that flows through the lives of people and wildlife, and how their homes depend on those flows. Dam the river to see what happens, and then try different options for sustainable development that keeps the river healthy and flowing. Collect stories of people and animals along the way!

Features

  • In-depth, educational storytelling experience for environmental science
  • Stunning, animated, augmented reality model users can interact with and learn from
  • Five distinct habitats based on real places: the Himalayan mountains, tropical jungles, African savannah, South American grasslands, and Southeast Asian deltas.
  • Opportunity to get involved and help protect rivers, and the people and wildlife that depend on them
  • An augmented reality map of the world’s rivers—and some of the biggest threats and opportunities they face.

A snapshot from the AR-based app called WWW Free Rivers featauring mountains, trees, and a river running through the terrain

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Podcasts in the classroom + reading resources for creating lifelong learners from 2peasandadog.com

On 12/29/2021, in Apple, Canada, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, education technology, Google, K-12 related, lifelong learning, podcasting, reading, story, storytelling, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

How to Listen to Podcasts in the Classroom — from 2peasandadog.com

Excerpts:

Podcasts can be used in the classroom for a variety of purposes. They are great for practicing listening skills, listening to stories, building a classroom community, and reinforcing academic content, among many others.
…
Teachers can access podcasts via websites, Apple apps, and Android apps.

Also from 2peasandadog.com, see:

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hoopla digital — a sharp digital streaming service

On 12/22/2021, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, adult learning, Apple, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, communities of practice, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), e-readers, education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, Google, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, innovation, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, library / librarians, media/film, mobile learning, multimedia, music, online media, passions, play, reading, story, storytelling, student-related, television, tools, United States, vendors, by Daniel Christian

hoopla digital streaming service -- borrow books, music, movies, and more. Very cool service.

hoopla digital is a digital streaming service for library users to access eBooks, eAudiobooks, music, movies, and TV shows using portable devices like smartphones and tablets.

From DSC:
I downloaded this app yesterday and borrowed a classical Christmas album on the spot. Our local library gives us 10 items per month:

  • Books are available for 21 days
  • Videos are available for 72 hours
  • Music titles are available for 7 days

NOTE: hoopla is available on desktops, phones, tablets, Alexa devices, Rokus, Apple TVs, Fire TVs, and Android TVs.

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The 35 Best Apple and Google Apps of 2021 [Nicander Mohr]

On 12/15/2021, in Apple, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, Google, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, programming, tools, by Daniel Christian

The 35 Best Apple and Google Apps of 2021 — from wonderoftech.com by Carolyn Nicander Mohr

Excerpt:

As 2021 draws to a close, Apple and Google have been busy creating their lists of the best apps of the year. These lists may include apps you already have or are familiar with. You may also discover your new favorite must-have app you’ll be eager to share with your friends.

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