Google

Reflections on “Google’s Chromebooks make up half of US classroom devices” [Taylor]

On 12/03/2015, in Apple, Bring your own device (BYOD), Daniel S. Christian, education, education technology, Google, IBM, K-12 related, technology (general), vendors, by Daniel Christian

Google’s Chromebooks make up half of US classroom devices — from cnbc.com by Harriet Taylor

Excerpt:

Google, Microsoft and Apple have been competing for years in the very lucrative education technology market. For the first time, Google has taken a huge lead over its rivals.

Chromebooks now make up more than half of all devices in U.S. classrooms, up from less than 1 percent in 2012, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting. To analysts, this comes as a big surprise.

“While it was clear that Chromebooks had made progress in education, this news is, frankly, shocking,” said Forrester analyst J.P. Gownder. “Chromebooks made incredibly quick inroads in just a couple of years, leaping over Microsoft and Apple with seeming ease.

From DSC:
I love Apple’s products and many of their philosophies. Their attention to detail and design is second to none — especially on things that Tim Cook and his leadership team really care about. I also appreciate Apple’s push into the enterprise — as evidenced by their partnership and collaborations with IBM.

In terms of Microsoft, Microsoft has designed and developed some excellent software through the years. Also, their current leadership seems to be far more innovative/effective than their former leadership (IMHO). This can be seen in endeavors like Microsoft’s push into augmented reality/mixed reality with their HoloLens product.

But from someone working in the education sector, it has felt like Apple and Microsoft have been blown out of the water by Google these last several years. So to see that Chromebooks now make up more than half of all devices in U.S. classrooms, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Their ease of setup and administration in addition to their low cost have made Chromebooks ideal for many K-12 schools.

If Apple and Microsoft want to be key players in the education space in the future, then they really need to majorly up their game — obtaining board level supported endeavors and investments. Otherwise, Google seems to be on a trajectory to dominate this space (at least until the next Google comes along).

IBM’s System ML (for Machine Learning) is open sourced

On 11/24/2015, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, computer science, corporate / business world, Google, IBM, programming, trends, workplace, by Daniel Christian

IBM’s SystemML machine learning system becomes Apache Incubator project — from zdnet.com by Larry Dignan
There’s a race between tech giants to open source machine learning systems and become a dominant platform. Apache SystemML has clear enterprise spin.

Excerpt:

IBM on Monday said its machine learning system, dubbed SystemML, has been accepted as an open source project by the Apache Incubator.
…
What’s notable about IBM’s SystemML milestone is that open sourcing machine learning systems is becoming a trend. To wit:

Google recently open sourced its TensorFlow machine learning tool under an Apache 2.0 license.
Facebook has also contributed its machine learning and artificial intelligence tools to the Torch open source project.

Also see:

Addendum on 11/25/15:

New IBM Cloud Service Enables Developers to Rapidly Translate Apps into Nine Languages — from finance.yahoo.com
IBM Globalization Pipeline, Available on IBM’s Cloud Platform, Quickly Opens Apps Up to Fastest Growing Global Markets
Excerpt:
ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a new cloud-based service that enables developers to automatically translate cloud and mobile apps into the world’s most-spoken languages.

What Google’s new open-source software means for artificial-intelligence research [Wexler]

On 11/11/2015, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, computer science, Google, open courseware and systems, programming, research, trends, vendors, by Daniel Christian

What Google’s new open-source software means for artificial-intelligence research — from chronicle.com by Ellen Wexler

Excerpt:

Google wants the artificial-intelligence software that drives the company’s Internet searches to become the standard platform for computer-science scholars in their own experiments.

On Monday, Google announced it would turn its machine-learning software, called TensorFlow, into open-source code, so anyone can use it.

“We hope this will let the machine-learning community — everyone from academic researchers, to engineers, to hobbyists — exchange ideas much more quickly, through working code rather than just research papers,” Google announced on its website.

Until now, researchers have had access to similar open-source software: Torch, built by researchers at New York University, as well as Caffe and Theano, are also open to everyone. TensorFlow is meant to combine the best of the three, Jeff Dean, a top engineer at Google, told Wired.

Also see:

Cognitive technologies: The real opportunities for business
Instructor: David Schatsky
A free course from Deloitte University Press | October 19, 2015 – December 8, 2015

Excerpt of description:

Artificial intelligence (AI) may sound like science fiction, but it is real, and becoming increasingly important to companies in every sector. The field of artificial intelligence has produced a wide variety of “cognitive technologies” that simulate human reasoning and perceptual skills, giving businesses entirely new capabilities and enabling organizations to break prevailing tradeoffs between speed, cost, and quality.

Aimed at a general business audience, this course demystifies artificial intelligence, provides an overview of a wide range of cognitive technologies, and offers a framework to help you understand their business implications. Some experts have called artificial intelligence “more important than anything since the industrial revolution.” That makes this course essential for professionals working in business, operations, strategy, IT, and other disciplines. Throughout the course, participants will build a knowledge base on cognitive technologies to equip them to engage in discussions with colleagues, customers, and suppliers and help them shape cognitive technology strategy in their organization.

10 items regarding wearables

On 11/02/2015, in education technology, emerging technologies, Google, health, higher education, trends, United States, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, wearables, by Daniel Christian

Wearables & Virtual Reality: Where Higher Education is Headed — from higheredtechdecisions.com by Jessica Kennedy
EDUCAUSE seminar predicts wearables and virtual reality solutions will take higher education learning to a new level.

Excerpt:

Even though fitness trackers like FitBit are increasing in popularity among college students, Georgieva and Craig predict wearables and immersive and virtual reality spaces will become must-haves on college campuses.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for teaching and learning,” Craig says. “[It provides] headgear for the eyes, virtual and augmented reality, and wearables for the brain.”

Georgieva says that as technologies like wearables evolve, students’ learning styles and visual literacy shift.

Students are more immersed in a visual culture and rely on pictures to communicate, analyze and learn.

7 up-and-coming wearable technologies — from campustechnology.com by Leila Meyer
Sensory messaging devices, stress-reducing headpieces, biometric authentication bands and more — these cutting-edge wearables could soon be coming to your campus.

How the Internet of Things will revolutionise medicine — from techradar.com by Jamie Carter

Excerpt:

Anyone who’s been in hospital will know how long nurses spend taking hourly measurements for blood pressure, and much more besides. If a hospital could put a wearable device on each patient to automate the process, the time saved would be enormous – and that’s just the beginning of how the Internet of Things (IoT) promises to change healthcare.

Over the next five years the traditional ‘doctor-patient’ model will completely open up as self-monitoring devices do away with the need for routine check-ups and appointments, and IoT sensors in our homes and on our bodies increasingly allow us to look after ourselves.

1 In 5 U.S. Adults On Board With Wearables Now — from readwrite.com by David Nield
And smartphones are driving the change.

Excerpt:

Forrester released its annual report on US consumer technology use on [9/28/15], and the findings make encouraging reading for wearable developers, manufacturers and enthusiasts.

Twenty-one percent of all “online” adults in the U.S. now own a wearable device of some kind, with the younger generation leading the way in adoption.

Future wearables could be sensors you ingest and implant, Jawbone CEO says — from cnet.com by Shara Tibken
Hosain Rahman also says sales of his company’s fitness wearables haven’t been hurt by the Apple Watch.

Excerpt:

He added that wearables will play a key role in the move to connect everything to the Internet, known as the Internet of Things.

Blocks modular smartwatch hits Kickstarter for $285 and ships in May 2016
What you need to know about specs, prices and modules before backing Blocks

Basis Peak Fitness and Sleep Tracker — from humanplus.design

Google Glass 2.0 – Specs, Price And Release Date — from wtvox.com

Excerpt:

Everybody is talking about Google Glass 2.0. To paraphrase from Lavoisier’s “Traité Élémentaire de Chimie”. “Rien ne se perd, rien ne se crée, tout se transforme.” (“Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.”)

I’m sure you’ve heard that Google Glass is dead. Believe it or not, it is still alive. Google Glass never died. Google Glass “reborn” into a second version. Like the phoenix bird.

There is much misinformation about Google Glass at the moment. Let’s get the facts straight. Here is everything you need to know about the new Google Glass 2.0.

Google Glass 2.0: Versions And Design
Google Glass 2.0 is in good hands. The old Glass team is now called Project Aura and behind the new team is Tony Fadell. You might now Mr. Fadel as the founder of NEST. But, few of you know that he designed the first iPod in 2001.

A Wearable Device with the Pitcher In Mind — from insightreplay.com by Graham Clark

Excerpt:

A wearable sensor that tracks strain on a pitcher’s elbow is making waves in major league baseball (MLB). The mThrow, by Motus Global, is a simple, lightweight sleeve, designed to be worn every time a pitcher throws. The smart throwing sleeve and companion iOS app collects and analyzes real-time biomechanical data from each game and practice, and uses that data to calculate workloads and recommend daily throw limits. This season, 27 MLB teams and their minor league affiliates are trying out the device, in the hope that it will help monitor pitchers’ workloads, improve pitching mechanics, and prevent injuries.

Wearables to U.S. adults: You’re putting me on — from news.investors.com

Project Loon is set to circle the planet with Internet balloons in 2016 [Dockrill]

On 11/02/2015, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, global / globalization, Google, internet, the downsides of how people use tech, by Daniel Christian

Project Loon is set to circle the planet with Internet balloons in 2016 — from sciencealert.com by Peter Dockrill
Around the world in 300 balloons.

Excerpt:

Google’s Project Loon is a massively ambitious plan to provide Internet connectivity to areas of the planet that don’t already enjoy good access to the web. How? Via a huge fleet of helium balloons that hang in the stratosphere 20 kilometres above the surface, assembling to form a high-tech communication network that beams the web to the surface.

And the undertaking is only getting more ambitious, with the company announcing this week that it plans to circle the planet with a ring of Project Loon balloons that will provide a perpetual data service for those living underneath its path.

Also see:

Excerpt:

Many of us think of the Internet as a global community. But two-thirds of the world’s population does not yet have Internet access. Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.

From DSC:
I just reviewed Gerd Leonhard’s recent item — Redefining the relationship of man and machine: here is my narrated chapter from the ‘The Future of Business’ book . Gerd asserts that we need to put together a “Digital Ethics Treaty” as soon as possible. (I agree.) So my thinking is influenced by some of his work in that area as I write this. Gerd raises some solid questions and points about technology and what we should be doing with it (as opposed to what we can do with it).

Anyway, Project Loon could be a great thing for the world — i.e., getting more people connected to the Internet so that they can collaborate with, teach, and learn from others throughout the globe. But there can be unintended consequences to our “technological progress” sometimes. Who controls what? What are they doing with these technologies and can we trust them? What’s someone’s motivation? In this case, it seems like a good thing…but the questions are worth discussing/asking. Especially as we’re moving forward at breakneck speeds!

6 recent items re: VR & AR (not to mention a few addendums)

On 10/30/2015, in A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), Google, health, human-computer interaction (HCI), vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, by Daniel Christian

NBA to broadcast first live pro sports event in virtual reality — from cnbc.com by Jessica Golden
[The NBA made history on Tuesday [10/27/15] as the league became the first to broadcast a live professional sports game in virtual reality.]

Why did Bloomberg build their own virtual reality public speaking simulator? and How Corporates are Using Virtual Reality — from alchemylearning.com

Google Expands Education with Virtual Reality — from geekdad.com

Digital cadavers: How virtual reality and augmented reality can change anatomy class — from techrepublic.com by Erin Carson
Western University’s new Virtual Reality Learning Center is using VR and AR to train med students.

Blippar launches R&D lab and expands into virtual reality with an educational Google Cardboard app — from venturebeat.com by Paul Sawers

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

More than $40 million in funding later, the now New York-based company has launched Blippar Lab, a research and development unit that will be used to explore “innovative use cases for AR and VR across a variety of industries.” The first of these Blippar Lab-branded products is Cardio VR for Google Cardboard, which is aimed at helping children learn about the human body through virtual reality.

If the distinction between augmented reality and virtual reality is lost on you, here’s a summation. AR is when the real, physical world is “augmented” with digital content, such as images or text layered upon a screen. VR is the full recreation of a world in digital, or “virtual,” form.

AR/VR technical benchmarks show how far we’ve come — from digi-capital.com

Addendums:

How to Transform Your Classroom With Augmented Reality — from edsurge.com by Patricia Brown
Budget virtual reality headsets set to be hot Christmas gifts in 2015 — from yahoo.com
What The Growth Of Virtual Reality Will Mean For Brands — from techcrunch.com by Pete Sena
Controlling Augmented Reality in the Operating Room: A Surgeon’s Perspective — from medgadget.com
Oculus Social Alpha launches on Gear VR — from uploadvr.com
Excerpt:
Today is a big day for virtual reality. It is the first day in history when people owning consumer VR headsets, running publicly available software, were able to connect with one another in a virtual space using the Internet.
Modsy Brings The Virtual When Designing Reality — from techcrunch.com by Matt Burns
Self-contained VR headset competes with the big names, no smart phone required — from digitaltrends.com by Chloe Olewitz
First Ever Commercial Virtual Reality System to Fly in Space Brings Non-Astronauts Aboard ISS — from deepspaceindustries.com
Asteroid Mining Company and VR Data Analytics Company Approved for ISS Floating Tour
Excerpt:
MOFFETT FIELD, CA – For the first time ever, a virtual reality recording system will be flown in space. The project, announced today by Deep Space Industries (DSI), will use a spherical video capture system to create a virtual reality float-through tour of the International Space Station’s science lab.
Virtual reality helmets present a forest from an animal’s perspective

Next Generation K-12: 10 Implications for HigherEd — from gettingsmart.com by Tom Vander Ark and Guest Author

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

There are a growing number of next generation models in K-12 as a result of new thinking about learning design and deeper understandings of college and career readiness, enabled by cheap devices, better tools, and foundation support. They personalize learning in blended and competency-based environments. These models revolve around students and learning, rather than teachers and direct instruction as the primary pedagogy.

We’ve chronicled the development of next-gen schools (here and here) and see hundreds of districts and networks adopting next-gen strategies. We’re optimistic that broader adoption of these strategies will produce better student outcomes. Following are 10 examples of next-gen learning in K-12.

…

These examples are not single course innovations, they are engineered solutions. The first half are districts or networks; the other half are schoolwide models. There are hundreds of examples and they have big implications for HigherEd.

We see 10 implications for HigherEd; some directly as a result of next-gen models, some resulting from next-gen policies, some from EdTech and consumer variables impacting both K-12 and HigherEd.

From DSC:
I post this valuable item from Tom Vander Ark because I’m constantly shouting “Heads up!” “Heads-up!” I shout it to those of us working within higher education, and I shout it to those working within the corporate world.

Why?

Because those of us working within higher education operate in a continuum — and so do you working within the corporate world (especially those of you working within corporate training and corporate universities, as well as those of you producing elearning-based materials).

What happens in the prior stages of a student’s/employee’s life directly impacts us/you. Expectations are at play here; which impacts engagement; which impacts learning.

DanielChristian-what-should-our-learning-environments-look-and-act-like

Why there isn’t greater collaboration between these spheres is troublesome to me. So I want to lift up those people — like Tom Vander Ark — who are trying to do something about it.

————

Addendum on 11/5/15 that nicely illustrates my point:

2 things you should know about Google ed evangelist’s vision [Educause 2015] — from educationdive.com by Roger Riddell
Jaime Casap says schools aren’t broken, but they do need to adapt

Excerpt:

While that topic was certainly touched on during Casap’s keynote at Educause, the issue at hand on Thursday was a much more generational one. The discussion was, after all, titled “The Digitally Native Generation Z Is Going to College: Are You Ready?”

“There’s a generation of students coming to college that are a little bit different from the ones that they’re used to, and they’re learning in a different way,” Casap said, adding that a lot of the innovation in education is occurring in K-12 and will likely have some impact on higher ed.

Will setting up nanodegrees become a competitive necessity for OS providers?

On 10/27/2015, in Apple, computer science, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, entrepreneurship, Google, higher education, Microsoft, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, new business models, platforms, programming, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Google teams up with Udacity to introduce a new tech entrepreneurship nanodegree — from thetechportal.in by Mir Juned Hussain

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Google, during its I/O 2015 developer conference in May had announced a partnership with Udacity to launch a six-course Android Development Nanodegree. The company wanted to allow developers to learn how to write apps for Google’s mobile operating system.

Surprisingly, these new Nanodegrees turned out to the most popular ones by Udacity, attracting more than 300,000 people to enrol in the courses. The web giant wanted anyone, technical or not, to learn not just the basics of how to build Android, iOS, and web apps, but also to explain what it takes to design, validate, prototype, monetize, and market app ideas.

As a part of that initiative, Google has now introduced a new Nanodegree, which will consist of a Tech Entrepreneurship certificate, access to coaches, guidance on your project, help staying on track and career counseling. If all you want is the content, quizzes, and projects, all of that is available online for free at udacity.com/google.

From DSC:
This item made me wonder:

Will setting up nanodegrees become a trend for OS providers? That is, will Google be more successful in the marketplace than either Apple or Microsoft if they develop a series of nanodegrees? In fact, taking that one step further…will doing so become a competitive necessity for OS providers? For other software-related vendors?

Hmmm….

New York Times, Google team up on virtual reality films [mercurynews.com]

On 10/20/2015, in experimentation, Google, ideas, innovation, journalism, psychology, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, by Daniel Christian

New York Times, Google team up on virtual reality films — from mercurynews.com

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

NEW YORK — The New York Times is collaborating with Google to launch a virtual reality project that includes a free app to view films on devices like smartphones.

The newspaper publisher said Tuesday the NYT VR app that will be available for download in both iOS and Google Play app stores starting Nov. 5. The first virtual-reality film in the project is titled “The Displaced” and follows the experiences of child refugees from south Sudan, eastern Ukraine and Syria.

Google will supply cardboard viewers that allow customers to view a three-dimensional version of the films. More than 1 million of the viewers will be distributed to home delivery subscribers early next month, and digital subscribers will receive emails with details on how to get the free viewers.

Top wearables across 10 key sectors [Orton-Jones]

On 10/01/2015, in Apple, business, emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, Google, health, ideas, innovation, wearables, by Daniel Christian

Top wearables across 10 key sectors — from raconteur.net by Charles Orton-Jones
Useful applications of wearable technology are multiplying fast as innovators across numerous sectors find lucrative ways of putting the tech to work. Here are ten of the best…

Sectors covered include:

Finance
Retail
Manufacturing
Entertainment
Insurance
Field Service
Transport
Security
Childcare
Fashion

Addendum on 10/2/15:

This is the first cellular Android Wear smartwatch: LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition — from techradar.com by Matt SwiderExcerpt:
Strap on the LG G Watch Urbane 2nd Edition and feel free to walk away from your smartphone, because this is the first Android Wear smartwatch with untethered cellular connectivity. Compatible with both Android and iPhone, this revision of the first LG Watch Urbane makes and receives calls and data over 4G and 3G as well as the normal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth methods.

Campus Technology 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards

On 09/30/2015, in 21st century, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, Adobe, Apple, assessment, Bring your own device (BYOD), collaboration, communications, digital audio, digital learning, digital storytelling, digital video, distance education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty, Google, graphics, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), interactivity, IT in HE, learning, learning ecosystem, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, Microsoft, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multi-touch, multimedia, online learning, participation, platforms, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, smart classrooms, tablets, teaching & learning, technology (general), telepresence, tools, vendors, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, webinars, by Daniel Christian

Campus Technology 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards

Excerpt:

In this first-ever higher education “gear of the year” guide, Campus Technology has turned to hundreds of education professionals to tell us which products in 29 categories are truly the best. We cover the gamut of technology from 3D printers to wireless access points. In almost every category you’ll find the Platinum, Gold and Silver picks to help you short-list your shopping, fuel your decision-making or perhaps start a friendly debate on campus.

Learning Management and E-learning
E-Portfolios
Other Instructional Tools
Student Information Systems and Data Management
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Constituent Relationship Management (CRM)
Student Success/Retention
Student Response Systems and Classroom Clickers
Lecture Capture
Document Cameras
Projectors
Interactive Whiteboards
Videoconferencing and Web Conferencing
Virtual Classroom and Meeting
Classroom Audio Distribution/Sound Enhancement
Captioning
Office/Productivity Suites
Classroom Presentation
Multimedia Authoring Suites and Creative Software
E-Learning Authoring
Media Tablets
Chromebook
Windows Tablet
Convertible and 2-in-1 Notebooks
Notebooks
Virtual Desktops and Thin Clients
Wireless Access Points and Hotspots
3D Printers
Emergency Notifications

The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2015 [Hart]

On 09/21/2015, in Adobe, Apple, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, elearning, Google, learning, learning ecosystem, Microsoft, mobile learning, online learning, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, tools, training / L&D, trends, UK, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Here are the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2015 — from c4lpt.co.uk by Jane Hart

Excerpt:

Over 2,000 learning professionals from around the world from both education and enterprises contributed to the 9th Annual Survey of Learning Tools. Very many thanks to all those who took the time to complete the online form, write a blog post, send me an email or tweet me their selection.

I have now compiled the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2015, updated the Top 100 Tools for Learning website and prepared a slideset, which I have hosted on Slideshare and embedded below.

For the 7th year running Twitter is the No 1 tool on the list, although this year it is very closely followed by YouTube, and once again, the list is dominated by free online tools and services. I can also see some interesting new trends in the tools that are being used for both personal learning and for creating learning content and experiences for others, and I will provide my analysis shortly. In the meantime, beneath the presentation, you will find a summary of the new tools on the list and the big movers up the list.

The multi-device world is evolving! [Garg]

On 09/14/2015, in digital learning, elearning, Google, human-computer interaction (HCI), mobile learning, mobile technologies, second screen apps, tablets, technologies for your home, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, by Daniel Christian

The multi-device world is evolving! — from upsidelearning.com by Amit Garg

Excerpt:

The multi-device world is certainly evolving. Existing devices are evolving in size while new devices are being added to the mix. All of this is resulting in evolving behavior patterns.

The smart thing to do is to get started with multi-device learning without waiting for the world to settle down. You might make a few mistakes, but will learn along the way and would still be better off as compared to those who never got started.

.

Smartphone Screen Size

“…the boundaries between tablets and smartphones are blurring…”

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality app brings art history to life — from creativebloq.com

Excerpt:

Dazzle It is a cool new augmented reality app that lets you remix artwork from artists including the Sir Peter Blake, Godfather of Pop Art – best known for designing the 1967 Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover.

Developed by digital design agency, Corporation Pop, it combines the latest augmented reality techniques with design to bring history to life. And notably, unlike most augmented reality apps, you don’t need a pre-supplied marker to view what you create in a real-world scene.

7 Great Augmented Reality Apps for Your Classroom — from teachercast.net

Apps Discussed on the Show:

Aurasma
Anatomy 4D
ColAR
Spacecraft 3D
AR Flash Cards
Elements 3D
Google Translate

Angus park to host augmented reality performance — from scotsman.com with thanks to Woontack Woo for his posting on this

Excerpt:

A FOREST park in Angus is to host the UK’s first live theatrical performance featuring augmented reality (AR) technology.

By downloading an app, audiences will be able to spot magical creatures through their smartphones and capture them on camera, before sharing the images with friends and family on social media.

DragonQuest, which will be performed in Monikie Country Park, allows visitors to wander around a forest using their smartphone to create images of fantastical creatures in addition to real-life characters and events on the set.

Here are the signs that point to Apple’s next big innovation in computing, according to one analyst — from businessinsider.com

Check Out How These Teachers and Students are Using Augmented Reality — from emergingedtech.com

Using Augmented Reality for Learning and Teaching — from edtechreview.in by Prasanna Bharti

Excerpt:

Various Application of Augmented Reality in Learning Different Subjects

Astronomy: AR can be used to make student understand about the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. Here AR technology can be used with 3D rendered sun and earth shapes.

Chemistry: Teachers can demonstrate what a molecule and atoms consist of using AR technology.

Biology: Teachers can use Augmented Reality to showcase their student’s body structure or anatomy. Teachers can show their students different types of organ and how they look in a 3D atmosphere. Students can even study human body structure on their own by using devices with AR embedded technology in it.

Physics: Physics is one of the subjects where AR technology can be used perfectly. Various kinematics properties can be easily understood by using AR technology.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality can take us to the world’s greatest museums — from venturebeat.com by Mike Minotti

London's The Courtauld Gallery.

How Virtual Reality Can Close Learning Gaps in Your Classroom — from edsurge.com

Excerpt:

Virtual Reality (VR) may be the type of educational breakthrough that comes along once in a generation, heralding a tectonic shift toward immersive content for teaching and instruction.

By presenting a complete view of the world in which it is situated, VR offers a new opportunity to close some of the pedagogical gaps that have appeared in 21st century classroom learning. These gaps stem from the fact that curriculum and content in education have not caught up with rapid technology advancements.

Below I introduce three of these gaps and how they might be addressed by virtual reality content soon to be produced and distributed commercially.

Google Cardboard offers virtual trip for Lawrence students — from www2.ljworld.com

Excerpt:

The Lawrence school district recently purchased 20 Google Cardboards, which beginning this school year are available for teachers to check out for use in their classrooms, said Joe Smysor, the district’s technology integration specialist. Cardboard works in conjunction with a smartphone app to deliver a 3-D, 360-degree navigable image. Students can use apps with Cardboard to virtually visit museums, landmarks or cities around the world.

“It’s going to allow teachers to take their class on field trips where school buses couldn’t otherwise go,” Smysor said. “That could be back 100 years in the past, or underwater.”

Virtual college tours with cardboard, a smartphone and YouVisit — from mystatesman.com by Omar L. Gallaga

Excerpt:

While college students are settling into their dorms, it’s already time for next year’s class of high school students to narrow down their potential school choices and schedule campus visits. Or maybe they can just stay home and start the journey virtually.

A site called YouVisit has a surprisingly large set of virtual-reality college tours available. All the major Texas colleges are represented, and one of them, Trinity University, has been making a big push to get cheap sets of cardboard VR goggles out to families at recruiting events such as college fairs. Trinity sent me a pair of the cardboard glasses. The virtual visit to the campus certainly wasn’t the same as being there, but to get at least a visual sense of what the campus looks like and to be generally wowed by the 3-D/360-degree effect, it was worth the trip.

Regis University Creates Remote Campus Tours with Primacy’s Virtual Reality Experience — from businesswire.com
Jesuit university builds on rich tradition of innovation by enabling immersive virtual tours using Oculus Rift technology and virtual reality headsets

Excerpt:

FARMINGTON, Conn. & DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Regis University today unveiled a unique new way for prospective students to tour and experience the school’s scenic 100-acre campus. Through an interactive, immersive experience created by independent agency Primacy, students are able to put on an Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset and immediately be transformed to the campus where they can get a full, 360-degree tour as if they were on site – including viewing daybreak runs at Red Rocks, being immersed in Regis’ experiential nursing skills lab and visiting the campus pub to watch a live Jenga game.

GoPro is now selling its crazy 16-camera virtual reality rig — from theverge.com by Sean O’Kane
‘Odyssey’ is only available to pros

Excerpt:

Odyssey is the first camera rig built specifically for Google’s Jump platform, which was also announced at this year’s I/O conference. Jump is an entire virtual reality ecosystem that, in theory, will make it easier to both create and consume VR content. With Jump, Google created open plans that companies can use to build their own 16-camera rig (GoPro just happened to be the first), as well as assemble software that can recreate the scene being captured in much higher quality than most existing image stitching software can. Eventually, Jump videos will be hosted in YouTube; think of it as the next logical step following YouTube’s inclusion of 360-degree videos earlier this year.

Behind the Scenes of a Virtual Reality Beethoven Concert — from recode.net by Eric Johnson

Excerpt:

Are you a classical music fan? It’s a question most people would probably say no to, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic knows that.

“People are intimidated by classical music,” said Amy Seidenwurm, the Philharmonic’s director of digital initiatives. “They don’t come to concerts because they feel it might not be for them.”

But to change those minds, the LA Phil is turning to virtual reality. For the next month, it will be driving around the Los Angeles area to parks, festivals and museums, in a van outfitted with real carpeting and seats from the Walt Disney Concert Hall — and six Samsung Gear VR headsets, which have been loaded with a special video performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. (You know the one: Dun-dun-dun DUNNNN.)

Inside Industrial Light & Magic’s secret Star Wars VR lab — from theverge.com by Bryan Bishop
ILMxLab isn’t just exploring the future of entertainment… they’re already making it

Addendums on 9/10/15:

The Top 10 Virtual Reality Headsets of 2015 — from avatargeneration.com

5 augmented reality apps to alter your world — from cbronline.com with thanks to Woontack Woo for his posting on this
Learn more about Dazzle It, Streetmuseum, Skyview, Blippar and Colorblind Fix.

Excerpt:

Ever wanted to see the world around you in a different way? These apps will transform your phone into a portal to a world of altered perceptions.

Learning Ecosystems

10 items regarding wearables

Project Loon is set to circle the planet with Internet balloons in 2016 [Dockrill]

6 recent items re: VR & AR (not to mention a few addendums)

Will setting up nanodegrees become a competitive necessity for OS providers?

New York Times, Google team up on virtual reality films [mercurynews.com]

Top wearables across 10 key sectors [Orton-Jones]

Campus Technology 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards

The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2015 [Hart]

The multi-device world is evolving! [Garg]

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