Google Search just got 1,000 times smarter — from Mashable.com by Lance Ulanoff

Excerpt:

The Google Search of the future is here. Now. Today. The long-talked-about semantic web — Google prefers “Knowledge Graph” — is rolling out across all Google Search tools, and our most fundamental online task may never be the same again.

Google launches Knowledge Graph, a new intelligent search platform — from TheVerge.com by Nathan Ingraham

Excerpt:

Google has just launched Knowledge Graph, the latest refinement to its search engine product that seeks to provide users with more relevant and in-depth responses to search queries. The company actually started testing this new interface last week, but now its ready to take the wraps off its new method for connecting search queries to information-rich topics on people, places, or things. Along with the standard search results you’re used to seeing, Google’s search results page now displays instant results related to your queries — a search for Taj Mahal immediately brings up a list of facts, photos, and a map of the famous landmark, as well as quick links to other popular uses of the search term (like the musician or the casino in New Jersey). There are a multitude of sources behind this data — Google cites Freebase, Wikipedia, and the CIA World Factbook, but also notes that “it’s augmented at a much larger scale” and tuned based on what the average user searches for.

The search engine problem: Lack of ‘knowledge’ — CNET.com
Google’s walk-through of Knowledge Graph

With Knowledge Graph, Google can finally tell the difference between Apple Inc. and apples — from FastCompany.com by Christina Chaey

 

New: 10 of the best Apple apps for education in 2012 — from eschoolnews.com by Meris Stansbury, Associate Editor
New apps include student file sharing, special education, cyber bullying information

Excerpt:

Last year we presented “10 of the best apps for education,” which highlighted some of the best apps for iPhones and iPods. However, with new upgrades in touch technology, HD and 3D features, and the debut of the iPad, we’ve come up with a new list of the best Apple-based education apps for 2012.

This year’s list includes some of the most highly rated apps, both by teachers and by Apple, and features a range that spans from simple math games to a revolutionary special-education app, and from 3D imaging of the elements included in the periodic table to secure file sharing for students and teachers.

For every app we’ve listed, we’ve included a brief description, device compatibility, suggested use, features, price, and a link to a more in-depth summary with an option to purchase on iTunes.

Also mentioned in comments:

  • iAnnotate
  • My Big Campus
  • BeSeen
  • Futaba Classroom Games

 

Polycom® RealPresence® Video Content Management Solutions Deliver Live Video Streaming and Video Recordings to Android and Apple Devices
Polycom extends secure user access to video content beyond traditional PCs and laptops to tablets and smartphones, providing easy access to view live and recorded videos on-demand

PLEASANTON, Calif. – May 15, 2012 : Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC), today unveiled updates to Polycom® RealPresence® Video Content Management solutions  that deliver anytime, anywhere secure access to view live-streaming webcasts and video recordings on-demand through a Web portal from any device. New features for RealPresence Video Content Management include updates for Polycom® RSS™ 4000 Recording and Streaming Server and Polycom® RealPresence® Media Manager that make the solution compatible with existing and future technologies, while extending users’ access to video content from traditional computer systems to Android and iOS-based mobile devices. Polycom’s RealPresence Video Content Management solution was recently recognized by Gartner with a “Positive” rating in the latest MarketScope for Video Content Management and Delivery, April 2012.1

Adobe announces next generation of Digital Publishing Suite
Over 25 Million Digital Issues Delivered to Date, 120,000 Downloads Every Day; Meredith Corporation Selects DPS

Excerpt:

NEW YORK — May 15, 2012 — At Adobe’s annual Digital Publishing Summit, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced a series of groundbreaking new features for Adobe® Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) that will allow media companies and corporate publishers to deliver unparalleled reach and monetize their unique content in new ways. Among the new features are Content Viewer for iPhone, social sharing, expanded font licensing and enhanced integration with Adobe Creative Suite® 6, a milestone release, creating an unbeatable combination for media and corporate organizations. Adobe is live blogging from the Summit at blogs.adobe.com/dpsnyc2012.

Addendum on 5/17/12:

 

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Drawing on the iPad: 12 touchscreen styluses reviewed

 

 

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What is AirServer? — my thanks to Mr. Johnny Ansari at Calvin College for this resource

Overview
AirServer is a powerful Mac/PC application that enables you to stream or mirror your iOS device, such as your iPhone 4S, to your Mac/PC. If your computer is connected to a secondary or alternative display, such as an HDTV or projector, your iOS device can use that display. If your iOS device allows Mirroring then anything you see on that device can be displayed on the big screen.

AirServer is the most advanced AirPlay/AirTunes receiver app on the market. Mirroring has been fully supported since version 4.0 of AirServer. No other app will let you seamlessly stream audio, videos, photos, and photo slideshows to your Mac or iOS device. AirServer gives you more features for less money, and it keeps getting better. Android fans rejoice: we now support AirPlay streaming to Mac from Android devices running doubleTwist+AirTwist.


AirServer makes history — 1 May, 2012

We’re so hyped about our latest breakthrough with AirServer that we couldn’t hold back any longer. This is something no other app has done. This is history in the making.

AirPlay Mirroring for PC is here!
That’s right. AirServer is the first and only software that can Mirror your iPhone/iPad to your Windows PC. This is a pre-release version and doesn’t yet have sound or some of the eye candy features of full blown AirServer. But it does have Mirroring. And Mirroring will enable you to take your iPhone 4S and display the screen pixel perfect on your PC. Over the coming weeks we’ll be adding free updates to the PC version to bring it up to speed with the Mac version. Exciting times ahead.

Magic Plan - potentially useful and sharp tool for architecture and interior design students

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From DSC:
My thanks to Mr. Steven Chevalia at Calvin College for this resource.

Adobe announces Creative Suite 6 and Adobe Creative Cloud on 4-23-12

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Adobe announces Creative Suite 6 and Adobe Creative Cloud on 4-23-12

 

.Also see:

From DSC:

  • This last piece from David Nagel addresses my fears and concerns with our current emphasis on standardized tests, common core standards, etc.  The emphasis is on STEM and can lead to a one-size-fits-all type of education that doesn’t allow each student to identify and pursue their own passions enough.

 

Addendum on 5/2/12:

 

 

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Groundbreaking tools for creating e-books — from Jane Friedman

Excerpt:

The past year has seen tremendous progress and growth in e-book creation and distribution services. Here are the most notable and impressive that I’ve seen.

 

Tablets hit the enterprise -- the year of the tablet (2012)

Animator creates incredible musical painting with $5 iPad app [VIDEO] — from Mashable by Christine Erickson

Excerpt:

“I really recommend it to anyone who does storyboards, concept art and animators, filmmakers, producers, whatever — this is the future,” says the video’s lead animator and director, Whitney Alexander. (You can see the full making-of here.)

Also see:

The best stylus for iPad: we review the hits and misses  The stylus is making a comeback, but which one is best?  By Ellis Hamburger on April 10, 2012

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splashtop.com -- remote desktop software with high performance video and audio

Also see:

  • Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPad — by Splashtop Inc.
    Celebrating Splashtop named by Apple as “Top 25 best-selling iPad app of ALL-TIME!”  Splashtop apps: Remote Desktop, CamCam, Touchpad, FileHound, etc.  Over 6 million users are enjoying Splashtop apps today! Go everywhere with your iPad and have full access to your PC or MAC!
    ** #1 iPad app in US in June 2011
    ** #1 iPad app in 23 countries
    ** #1 iPad business app in 63 countries

 

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Paper by 53.com

Description (from iTunes)
Paper is where ideas begin. It’s the easiest and most beautiful way to create on iPad. Capture your ideas as sketches, diagrams, illustrations, notes or drawings and share them across the web.

Mobile creation done right.
Paper was designed from the ground up for touch and creating on the go. No fussy buttons, settings or other distractions. Paper works the way you think, like a familiar notebook or journal. Have all of your ideas with you in one place.

Essential tools, settings-free.
Productivity meets beauty. No settings. Always beautiful—like great tools should be. Just pick up a tool and instantly begin to Sketch, Write, Draw, Outline and Color. Draw comes free with Paper.

Purchase additional tools from the in-app store:

  • Sketch. Ideas start here. The pencil blends from light to dark for sketching scenes, objects, and thoughts in rough form.
  • Write. Words never looked so beautiful. Write messages, add captions, or create lists with this quality ink pen.
  • Outline. Think bold. Graph insights, create a storyboard, or outline a presentation with this marker. Black lines stay black.
  • Color. Give color to your ideas. Move from a light wash to deep, rich color in one stroke with this watercolor made easy. You’ve got to try it.

Expressive Ink Engine.
Our custom ink engine reacts to your movements to optimize each tool for the process of creation. Get a range of expressions from a single tool without fussing with settings for great handwriting, beautiful coloring, and sketching that just works.

Retina Resolution.
Built for the new iPad’s brilliant display. With a full 2048×1536 canvas, see stunning details in your creations you couldn’t before—like pencil texture and watercolor edge bleed.

Paper the web.
Share your ideas instantly. Stream pages to Tumblr, send them over email, or share pages with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

 


Also see:

Excerpt:

Let’s be real about this. You can’t do everything on an iPad. As Shawn Blanc pointed outthe other day, you can’t make iOS apps on it, for example. But you might be surprised by how much real work you can do on it with the right tools. If your work requires generally office-like capabilities, there are definitely iPad solutions.

Here are five road-tested apps for getting things done on an iPad. It’s not meant to be a complete list, but it’s meant to be a flexible one. These are tools that are not tied to any particular method of working. They’ll help any digital worker stay sane and accomplish things, and you might find that the iPad is a surprisingly nice device to use for them.

© 2024 | Daniel Christian