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Joseph Kony & LRA Stats: 26+ years of violence, 30,000+ Children Abducted, 440,000 people currently displaced across 3 countries.
Where will technology take the future of education?
Source: https://twitter.com/BillGates/
Bill Gates posted an interesting perspective today on thegatesnotes.com about how education and technology are on a collision course that will change the future of how we learn. Besides being a brilliant entrepreneur, businessman, and a pioneer in technology, he also has a knack for astute observations that impact our society and the way we think.
As a parent, I find the future of educating our youth fascinating and consider it to be of extreme importance. While I could go on about the importance of educating our youth, there is even a broader picture to take into account, which is how technology will shape the learning of all humans in the 21′s century.
It’s easy to imagine a future where educators can harness the power of the web to bolster their ability to be more effective in providing quality education. Never in human history has their been more information as readily available as there is today. Channeling this information into structured training material seems like a logical next step.
We can learn on any subject imaginable with a few simple clicks of a mouse. Case in point, a week ago I purchased a dimmer light switch for our bonus room after some encouragement from a coworker about how easy the installation was. While I had some reservations, not being an electrician and all, I decided to go for it and make the purchase. Prior to installation I was getting a little nervous that perhaps I had underestimated the simplicity of installing the new switch. To increase my confidence level I did a quick search to find a how-to video on installing a dimmer switch. I watched the 3 minute long demonstration and had acquired enough knowledge to comfortably proceed. After double checking to make sure the breaker switch was off in the room I completed the installation in a matter of minutes. Clearly not having the power of the web would have drawn out the installation into a much longer and less safe project. While my story is not unique, it does capture the incredible education opportunities that are highly accessible to user’s world-wide.
Ultimately, I think Gates is pointing out that educators can streamline curriculum in a more effective and powerful way to bring education to a whole new level. Whether its through tracking, testing, or learning there are countless ways that we can expect to see technology and education to cross paths in the future.
Does size really matter?
Source: Fox News
The evolution of the phone has been interesting to watch over the past several decades.We’ve evolved from large brick-like phones that ran on 1G cellular networks in the 1980′s, to the flip phone that began to emerge in the 1990′s running on 2G digital networks. The 2G technology employed the process known as circuit switching, which can be inefficient because it limits the number of connections while transferring data. Despite this hurdle, 2G digital technology was still better than the 1G cellular analog technology and is often credited for the rapid expansion of the mobile phone. Still, there was a lot of pressure in the mid-late ninety’s to have greater data speeds. I remember working for a wireless company in the late 1990′s / early 2000′s when 3G hit the scene. There was a lot of buzz about how superior the 3G technology was compared to 2G. Essentially, 3G began to utilize packet switching technology which improved latency and allowed for much faster speeds and more efficient data transfer. This high speed data transfer, allowed for the first time, the ability to stream media from your handset. This changed the game for mobile devices and started a wave of out of the box thinking on where the handset could go next. While 3G dominated the last decade it was eventually overtaken by the latest 4G technology that we all have become accustom to over the past few years. The growth of bandwidth intensive streaming had taken its toll and it became clear that yet again faster speeds were going to be needed. The 4G technology started to employ the all-IP or next-generation network (NGN), utilizing packet switching over the internet through LAN, WAN, and VoIP.
As the type of technology used by our mobile devices evolved from 1G to 4G so did our phones. What does this mean? This means that how our phones physically look in 10 years will depend largely upon what type of technology can be deployed for its use.
Recently, there has been a growing trend in the mobile phone industry to make bigger, more vibrant, and brilliant display screens. There is no doubt, that the explosion of high tech smartphones has played a primary role in this recent trend in order to fully maximize all the benefits this mobile technology has to offer.
So,how big is too big for a phone? For this, we turn to Kenneth Butler for his list on the top 10 signs your smartphone is too big.
Top 10 signs your smartphone is too big | Fox News.
- People keep complementing you on your new iPad.
- It came with a remote control.
- You catch yourself looking for the volume controls on your waffles.
- You’re suddenly awesome at arm wrestling.
- You now wear a Bluetooth headset without feeling the least bit self-conscious.
- Augmented reality apps suck you into another dimension.
- You’ve convinced yourself that cargo pants are in again.
- It takes two people to perform pinch-to-zoom gestures.
- You phone’s browser keeps popping up ads on murses.
- You couldn’t lose it if you tried.
For better or for worse, there are a growing number of new phones on the market that are larger due to a consumer demand for big, easy to read, easy to use, display screens. As mentioned above this demand has largely been driven by the type of technology available. So there you have it!
Something's Unraveling, Alright
Jolie O'Dell at VentureBeat: Apple's press conference showed a brand unraveling
While today’s Apple event unveiled a couple new improvements to an expected lineup of products, it also revealed a certain sloppiness that was absent from former, Steve Jobs-led launches.
[…] I think today’s Apple event shows that perfectionism fraying a bit around the edges. The bad pun, the goofy logo, the weird product name — all of it pointed to a leadership that either didn’t understand or didn’t care about consistency in iconography.
This post is a Reblog. Visit Matt's blog to read the full article.
Apple’s new iPad – ‘Resolutionary’
Source: Apple
Today Apple unveiled its new iPad that is expected to hit shelves next week. The new iPad comes adorned with many new features that users are sure to enjoy.
- Sharper high-resolution screen
- Larger and longer lasting battery life
- Higher-resolution camera
- Updated software for improved performance
- Video recording in full 1080P
- Ultra-fast 4G network capability
- AirPlay streaming option
“Pick up the new iPad and suddenly, it’s clear. You’re actually touching your photos, reading a book, playing the piano. Nothing comes between you and what you love. To make that hands-on experience even better, we made the fundamental elements of iPad better — the display, the camera, the wireless connection. All of which makes the new, third-generation iPad capable of so much more than you ever imagined.”
This new iPad has plenty to offer for tablet enthusiasts that are looking to have the latest technology and features. Interestingly, the new iPad will be given the name “iPad”. That’s right; they have opted not to change the name simply referring to it as the new iPad.
Apple is touting the new iPad as having “pixel perfect performance” and when you combine that with more power, fast data networks, improved performance upgrades, and a one year hardware repair coverage it’s a complete package that will be the envy of the office.
The new iPad will start at a steep $499 price point. However, what’s a hefty price tag compared to missing a few car payments? Ok that may be a bit extreme but there is little doubt that the new iPad is going to fly off the shelves at lightning speed.
Related articles
- iPad vs. iPad 2 vs. the new iPad (reviews.cnet.com)
- Apple Unveils “Resolutionary” Retina Display iPad (webpronews.com)
Announcement: StreamBuzz Contributors
I am pleased to announce our two newest StreamBuzz contributors, Kirk Maudsley and Jake Neeley. Kirk is an enthusiastic marketing professional that has years of experience in various capacities. He is a creative thinker with an artistic flare bringing an uncanny ability to relate to others through his work. Jake brings a unique perspective with a true passion for social media. He is always up to speed on the latest trends and is resourceful in finding new methods to reach out to people.
We are excited to have both of these guys on board and look forward to their unique perspectives in upcoming articles. We invite you to get to know Kirk and Jake better by reaching out to them via Twitter or LinkedIn.
While this blog is very much in its infancy stage, we are very excited about the direction it is heading. We are working to increase its exposure and to broaden our reader base. You can help us by sharing articles that you find interesting with your friends or colleagues.
If you have a passion for writing and would like to have your work published on our blog you are invited to contact us.
Zynga to launch game service outside of Facebook – chicagotribune.com
The famous online game czars at Zynga, have recently made an aggressive move to drive Facebook users to play the games on their own website. How will Facebook react to this bold move by Zynga which will at least initially, come at a cost to their bottom line. According to a recent article by the Chicago Tribune, Facebook reported that 12% of its revenue is generated from Zynga. On the flip side 93% of the revenue generated by Zynga comes from its relationship with Facebook. This symbiotic-like relationship has worked very well for both companies resulting in huge profits. It appears that Zynga is making a strategic decision to gain a bigger piece of the pie and increase its profit margins. Zynga has been careful about not removing Facebook from the equation, although it is clear that they are looking to increase their online presence away from the social media giant. Users will still log-in using ther Facebook credentials and the two sites will still be socially connected through an innovative social media bar. The new site is said to still include all the usual suspects; “CityVille,” “CastleVille,” “Words with Friends,” and more.
“Best of all, while you might like gaming and playing with people who like social games, they don’t have to be part of your Facebook friends list,” Zynga Chief Operating Officer John Schappert said in an interview.
Check out the full article released recently by the Chicago Tribune. Zynga to launch game service outside of Facebook – chicagotribune.com. 
Is Zynga making a mistake? This move undoubtedly comes with inherent risks. How will Facebook react in the long run if it drives down revenues, which it appears is a very likely possibility. How will Facebook users react playing these games from the Zynga website? Will they embrace the move or prefer to stay on Facebook to play the games? Time will only tell how this move by Zynga will affect their relationship with Facebook in the coming months.
