Screen resolution & browser trends [infographic] — from theultralinx.com by Oliur Rahman
On 04/25/2012,
in Apple, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, Google, IT in HE, Microsoft, vendors, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
The Google Drive review you’ve been waiting for — from readwriteweb.com by Jon Mitchell
Excerpt:
Google Drive, the long-awaited file storage and syncing service, launch[ed yesterday]. If you follow tech news closely, you’ve seen bits and pieces of the news leaking out over the past two weeks. We’ve tested it and we’ve talked to the team leaders. Forget all the speculation. Here’s what Google Drive actually is.
Full-sized screenshots of the Google Drive iPad app — from readwriteweb.com by Jon Mitchell
Excerpt:
Google Drive launched [yesterday], but the iOS version of the app was unexpectedly not ready. Google says it’s almost there, but it won’t launch for “a few weeks.” But Google provided ReadWriteWeb with a bunch of full-size screenshots of the app, so we could know what to expect.
Google’s Drive adds to a complicated cloud — from technologyreview.com by Tom Simonite
Excerpt:
A new cloud-storage service from the search giant steps on the toes of startups like Dropbox and opens a new front against Apple and Microsoft.
Addendum on 4/26:
- Is Google’s onerous TOS designed to steal your stuff? –– from PCMag.com by John C. Dvorak
People are far too concerned about Google’s potential for abuse. (From DSC: I disagree; there is room for concern when you hold that much power/data in your hands. Think of political campaigns as but one example. What if someone — or some government or some terrorist organization or drug cartel — pays off some Google employee to nab Person ABC’s mailbox, documents, data? Call me skeptical…but I think anything’s possible these days given the moral fabric of our world.) - Google Drive terms of service: ‘A toxic brew’ — from cnet.com by Rafe Needleman
Google isn’t about to make your private files public, but that doesn’t excuse its sloppy terms of service. Google has inadvertently stoked privacy concerns about files uploaded to its newly released Google Drive by issuing poorly written rules that are more apt to confuse than to clarify. - Hands on with Google Drive — from PCMag.com by Mark Hachman
While Google has positioned its new Google Drive cloud-storage service as one that straddles the consumer and business space, those using it for collaboration will probably get the most out of it.
Also see:
- Just how big is the Amazon cloud anyway? — from gigaom.com by Barb Darrow
- 3 cloud services that make work easier — from Inc.com by Christina DesMarais
Protect yourself against data loss, security blunders, and–that real productivity killer–inefficiency.
Addendum on 4/27/12:
- Google Apps for Education and the New Google Drive — from hackeducation.com by Audrey Watters
On 04/24/2012,
in Apple,
by Daniel Christian
Apple reports second quarter results
Record March quarter sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs | Net Profit Increases 94% Year-over-Year
Excerpt:
CUPERTINO, California—April 24, 2012—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 second quarter ended March 31, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion, or $12.30 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $24.7 billion and net profit of $6.0 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 47.4 percent compared to 41.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
The Company sold 35.1 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.8 million iPads during the quarter, a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4 million Macs during the quarter, a 7 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.7 million iPods, a 15 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.
Addendum on 4/25:
- The following graphs from Apple’s Huge Quarter in Charts — from readwriteweb.com by Dan Frommer
.
On 04/16/2012,
in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, corporate / business world, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital textbooks, digital video, IT in HE, mirroring and/or multiple devices, multimedia, smart classrooms,
by Daniel Christian
Considerations for deploying the AppleTV in your school or enterprise — from williamstites.net by William Stites
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
We are beginning to look at using the AppleTV in our school as part of our iPad deployment but much like the iPads themselves we are in the position of trying to figure out how to deploy and manage a consumer device in the enterprise (schools to all of you).
The reason for considering the use of the AppleTV in the classroom has everything to do (for us) with AirPlay. The ability to give any student the opportunity to share what they are doing on their device with the class and demonstrate their learning is amazing — – can you say bye-bye Smartboards!
But as I play with this idea and discuss it with my colleagues there are some management issues and questions that I have…
Also see:
AirPlay Mirroring & Apple TV — from Steve Zalot
From DSC:
- Steve has a nice list of related resources and some helpful items re: deployment considerations such as the network, security, and audio/video considerations.
.
- This topic directly relates to one of my dreams for our “Smart Classrooms” and learning spaces (and why Steelcase’ MediaScape product is exciting and gaining traction)— to enable students to “play” media from many types of devices (laptops, smart phones, tablets, etc.) without disrupting the flow of the classroom!
. - Apple must address the network, security, and A/V-related issues for this to really take off in our learning spaces — but if and when they get by these hurdles, amazing results will soon follow!
.
Also see:
- Why go 1:1 iPad? — from The History 2.0 Classroom by Greg Kulowiec
Addendums
- Setting up your iPad for projected display in your classroom — from Teaching with iPad
- Apple TV in the classroom — from instructionaltechtalk.com
On 04/02/2012,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, analytics, Apple, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business side of he, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, convergence, corporate universities / corporate training, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, flipping -- inverted learning, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, internet, K-12 related, learner profiles, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, mirroring and/or multiple devices, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, podcasting, reinvent, smart/connected TV, social learning / networks, staying relevant, streams of content, student-related, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telepresence, television, the downsides of how people use tech, transmedia, trends, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring,
by Daniel Christian
The human voice, as game changer — from nytimes.com by Natasha Singer
Matthew Cavanaugh for The New York Times
Vlad Sejnoha demonstrated Nuance’s Dragon TV system, which obeys spoken commands to
flip channels, for example, or shop on screen on Amazon.com.
Apple’s iCloud will teach Apple’s Smart TV remote new tricks — from patentlyapple.com
6 answers about your next TV, with or without Apple — from forbes.com by Michael Humphrey
10 tech commandments for the TV industry — from thenextweb.com by Martin Bryant
Smart TVs are growing in popularity — from business-news.thestreet.com by Steve Adams
Image from Gary Higgins/The Patriot Ledger
Paul Berrini, a salesman at Hancock T.V.& Appliance in Quincy, demonstrates
some of the new features of “smart” televisions, Wednesday, March 21.
some of the new features of “smart” televisions, Wednesday, March 21.
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10 AirPlay-ready iPad apps that make Apple TV worth it — from readwriteweb.com by John Paul Titlow
Entertainment and Streaming Media – The Recent Past and the Future — from homesystemintegration.com by Alan Ruby
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TVs may soon be used to spy on you — from smartplanet.com by Tuan C. Nguyen
Will Microsoft beat Apple and Google to make Connected TV work? –– from econsultancy.com by Sam Dwyer
On 03/28/2012,
in 21st century, Apple, education technology, K-12 related, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
On 03/23/2012,
in Apple, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, trends, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
See:
- Apple’s iCloud
- desktop.onlive.com
- Gartner says the personal cloud will replace the personal computer as the center of users’ digital lives by 2014
Gartner Special Report Examines How Businesses Must Meet Consumers’ Cloud Expectations in Order to Win Customers
STAMFORD, Conn., March 12, 2012— The reign of the personal computer as the sole corporate access device is coming to a close, and by 2014, the personal cloud will replace the personal computer at the center of users’ digital lives, according to Gartner, Inc. - Gartner Consumer Research: Personal Cloud
- Cracking the cloud: An Amazon Web Services primer — from arstechnica.com by Matthew Braga
On 03/19/2012,
in Apple, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, technologies for your home, trends, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
iCloud, not the new iPad, is Apple’s real key to the post-PC revolution — from ReadWriteWeb.com by Dan Frommer
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
What makes the iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and gradually, even the Mac, “post-PC” devices, is the idea that they’re all tied together behind the scenes: Your work, your entertainment, your apps, everything. It’s not that they just replace a PC in your home. It’s that they go beyond what a PC ever offered.
That’s where iCloud comes into play.
On 03/14/2012,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, accreditation, active learning, adult learning, analytics, Apple, blended learning, business side of he, changing business models, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, content development, aggregation, repositories, convergence, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, cost of getting a degree, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital textbooks, disruption, distance education, e-publishing related items (EPUB and more), education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, face-to-face, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, innovation, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, internet, K-12 related, learner profiles, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, lifelong learning, love of learning, machine-to-machine communications, marketplaces, mirroring and/or multiple devices, mobile learning, mobile technologies, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, multi-touch, multimedia, Near Field Communication (NFC), New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, new business models, online learning, online media, online tutoring, passions, personalized/customized learning, reinvent, smart classrooms, smart/connected TV, social learning / networks, social media, staying relevant, student-related, surviving, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telepresence, television, training / L&D, transmedia, trends, ubiquitous learning, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, webinars, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
The vision below involves:
(click on the image below to access it)
- The convergence of the telephone, the television, and the computer
- Cloud-based education stores/marketplaces/exchanges
- Second screen devices and machine-to-machine communications
- Social networking/learning
- Smart classrooms/learning spaces
- Content recognition/synchronization applications
- Apps as “channels”
- Web-based learner profiles
- Video overlays
- New business models in higher ed
- New jobs/needs for the future
- A new way for employers to hire highly-effective employees/contractors/consultants
- …and more
.
On 03/08/2012,
in Apple, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, K-12 related,
by Daniel Christian
- Navigating Apple’s Discount App Program for Educators — from The Journal by Greg Thompson
- Apple Configurator
- iPad Support
Also see:
On 03/07/2012,
in Apple, convergence, digital audio, digital photography, digital video, smart/connected TV, technologies for your home,
by Daniel Christian
Apple announces iPad 3, upgrades to Apple TV, new software – March 7, 2012
.
Also see:
- Apple Unveils Hi-Res, Quad-Core, 4G iPad — from Wired News by Christina Bonnington
On 03/06/2012,
in A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, education technology, emerging technologies, mirroring and/or multiple devices, smart classrooms, smart/connected TV, trends,
by Daniel Christian
Reflection Mirrors iOS Devices on the Mac –– from tidbits.com by Jeff Carlson ; my thanks to Mr. Lucas Moore at Calvin College for the heads up on this item
.
Reflection on the ReflectionApp and the AirServerApp and Apple TV — from iPad and Technology in Music Education by Paul Shimmons
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Also see:
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Also see:
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- Science class flashes with iPads — from The Chicago Tribune by Lawerence Synett
Crystal Lake program puts tablets in students’ hands
.
A Crystal Lake science class uses iPads instead of notebooks and pencils.
(Peter Parks, Getty-AFP photo / February 22, 2012)
On 03/01/2012,
in Apple, dangers of the status quo, ethics, new business models, open courseware and systems, publishing,
by Daniel Christian
Who decides what gets sold in the bookstore? — from paidcontent.org by Seth Godin
Excerpt:
I just found out that Apple is rejecting my new manifesto Stop Stealing Dreams and won’t carry it in their store because inside the manifesto are links to buy the books [at Amazon.com] I mention in the bibliography.
From DSC:
By the way, some nice quotes from the Stop Stealing Dreams page:
- The economy has changed, probably forever. School hasn’t.
.
- Our kids are too important to sacrifice to the status quo.
On 02/22/2012,
in Apple, business, ethics, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
10 staggering facts behind Apple’s Foxconn Factory — from Mashable.com by Samantha Murphy
From DSC:
I’m half-way through reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and this report doesn’t surprise me in the least. According to what I’m getting from the book, Steve Jobs was a task-master who drove people incredibly hard. He was also an individual who didn’t value relationships and people — unless they served his purposes. So this report is not surprising. I just hope Tim Cook can be more honest and forthcoming about things involving their supply chain — as well as all other areas involving the way Apple does business — than Jobs ever was.
As disclosure, I own an iPhone, an iPad and our family has purchased 3 Macs. I just wish all businesses could make better attempts at serving Main Street while they are striving to serve Wall Street.