Google+

Google+ is the newest contender in the social media scene.  Debuting this past Tuesday, this platform, which is similar to Facebook, is open only to select users right now.  Google is promoting this new tool by saying that it will be more private and will streamline all of your other Google programs/products.  However, as this article points out, this platform will be harder for businesses to use.  Businesses will have to work harder to get a widespread message out, which could make this new platform problematic.  However, Google's products such as Gmail, AdSense, Blogger and Android have become wildly popular over the past few years, so don't count them out too quickly.

Can this new social media application be a real contender against Facebook?  Only time will tell, but take it from me (I've been invited to use this application), so far, I'm not jumping the Facebook ship anytime soon.

Happy Belated Centennial Birthday IBM!

Yesterday was IBM's birthday & they turned 100 years old! But, they were not always called International Business Machines.  At their origin, the company was named Computing-Tablet-Recording Company, reflecting a merger of the three companies that formed this new business.  Nonetheless, they have become a powerful force in today's world, and have helped revolutionize technology.

QWERTY QUERY

Ever wondered about the history of the keyboard?  From the typewriter to today's touch screen key boards, the keyboard has evolved a lot over the years.  Mental Floss dug into this interesting history today, and even dug up some connections that go beyond the surface.  So here's your chance, learn more about what is really behind our life-saving QWERTY friend.

Good Apple

Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference kicked off today with a keynote address from Steve Jobs.  Included in his address were changes to many of Apple's programs/products/software.  To see a live blog of his address and the Conference click here.

iCollege

Colleges have started embracing Apple's iTechnology a little bit more recently.  Some schools are developing apps and mobile content for students to view their course material, grades, discussions, etc. from their iPhones and iPods.

Honestly, I'm surprised these steps are just now being taken.  I thought most colleges by now would have something like these types of technology being described.  While I know that many colleges have apps for their campus maps or for incoming students and the application process, I'm glad to see they are also starting to be concerned with the students who are already paying the big bucks.  Schools need to start developing these technologies because they will be and are what students are going to expect moving forward.

Virtual Teacher

One of Apple's co-founders believes that one day students just might be completely learning from computers.  He said software that could make computers life-like as well as capable to teaching students and monitoring their progress are not just a pipe dream.  The benefit he said is that each student's education would be specialized and individualized to their needs, capabilities and progress.

While, I think that this type of learning may have some benefit, and think it is definitely a possibility going into the future, I also think this would be detrimental to education.  Human interaction is an important part of education and socialization, and you just can't get that from a cold, hard computer screen.

The Art of Saving

There are many sites out there today that offer subscribers deals on goods and services from certain companies.  Sites such as Groupon, LivingSocial and more have made a profit on selling discounts, which are extremely popular especially in this rough economy.  Now there is a new competitor looking to join the bandwagon, Facebook.  Facebook is set to debut a new feature called Deals, in which users can share the deals they have found with one another.  This feature will be debuting in 5 cities, and then expanding if it works successfully.

I think this is a great idea.  So many people use the discount sites and Facebook, and now they will be integrated into one platform.  Twitter has already started this type of situation, since many of the deal sites tweet their deals daily.  And, while it may seem that Facebook's application may compete with these other sites, I think this will actually help these sites grow because people can post the deals they have found on them on Facebook.  In addition, they can simply post deals they have found in stores or elsewhere.  I applaud Facebook for trying to do something new with what they have, especially since they already have a large and growing fan base.  This will be just one more reason people will come to love Facebook and social media in general.

What's your take?  How successful do you think Facebook's Deal application will be?

Technology Tuesday

Articles about two technology giants:

The Microsoft Store.  That just doesn't sound as nice or as appealing as say, The Apple Store.  But, Microsoft is giving it a go.  They opened their first store back in 2009, and only have eight to date, which explains why I've never heard of or seen one.  In theory, this sounds like a good plan to better compete with Apple, which is quickly taking over the market.  But, in reality there are just too many problems that Microsoft has to deal with that Apple doesn't.

These Maine kindergarteners now have their own iPad2s.  Why does a 5 year old need an iPad you might ask?  To learn the alphabet of course.  Teachers are finding that this touch activated tool is actually increasing child literacy rates, which is a good thing in my opinion.  I just hope these kids don't decide to do any finger painting on these pricey gadgets.

If you have thoughts about either of these articles, feel free to share!

The Art of Photography

Cell phone picture of a baby turtle moments after birth

Cell phones and smart phones are quickly becoming one of today's hottest tech tools.  Phones today can instant message, email, text, play games, surf the internet and even double as a camera.  Colleges are now starting to take advantage of the opportunities today's technology provides by teaching college courses on cell phone photography.  These courses teach students how to take the best photos with their phones and about the legal issues related to reproducing or sharing these photos.  Classes also teach how to use cell phone image software, just like you can learn on the computer.  I applaud the ingenuity behind courses such as these because this type of class is highly practical in a world where almost everyone has a cell phone and almost everyone uses their phone for a multitude of purposes besides calling someone.

Tweet Tweet

Twitter has become increasingly popular over the past few years, with a huge explosion within the last year or so.  People may think it's creepy (I personally thought it was for a long time), but it actually is a convenient tool.  You don't just have to tweet about where you are and what you're doing every single second of the day.  You could use it to tweet cool facts or random quotes, or follow companies that will give you discounts or a cool link.  In the classroom, Twitter could be used to brainstorm or for students to communicate with each other about schoolwork when they're at home.  Twitter doesn't have to be all about the creeper factor, but it certainly can be, as this article about Charlie Sheen's newest world record related to Twitter reveals.

  Today's question is: How do you tweet?

Reading Is Rad

Dr. Seuss would have celebrated his 107th birthday on Wednesday.  In honor of this, schools and communities across the nation have been/are sponsoring reading days.  Target is even sponsoring a Read Across America day with an in-store event this morning and various other activities on their website.

I think celebrating and emphasizing reading on the birthday of such a famous children's book author is a great way to inspire children.  With all the new technology in the world, kids could stand to pick up a book every once and awhile.  Reading is a fundamental skill, and I don't see it every going away even if the mediums it is presented in are changing.

Skin Deeep

Today's blog is all about beauty news.  

First up, an article in the Times from yesterday discusses the increasingly popular phenomenon of permanent make-up tattoos.  While it may seem convenient to be able to look great all the time with little effort, there are serious side effects and risks for this procedure.  Yes, all tattoos have side effects and risks, but tattooing your face makes these tattoos seem a little more dangerous than most.  Yet, permanent make-up tattoos are on the rise due to the fact that the world in which we live is constantly speeding up, and having your make-up already mostly done all the time is definitely a time saver.  The question is, is it worth it?

In other skin care related news, Mental Floss reported on the impending invention of a new kind of printer.  A printer that prints...skin.  While the idea of printing skin completely grosses me out, I can see some advantages.  The article mentions that soldiers wounded in war could find this technology quite handy, and I'm sure there are many other potential uses in the medical and non-medical world for this machine.  

Teched Out

With all of the technology out there today, learning has become easier, but also more complicated.  Schools and teachers are using social media as well as programs such as Skype to communicate with their students outside the classroom.  These tools can be useful when students miss school due to inclement weather, illness or other various reasons.  They can also be useful in an everyday sense.

I'm currently enrolled in a technology for teachers class.  We're talking about how communication tools can make learning more exciting and engaging for students.  Since students today are digital natives, they require different types of tasks to learn.  These students are more capable of multi-tasking and enjoy being on the computer, so teachers need to use these capabilities to their advantage.  There are all sorts of websites, games, applications, etc that teachers have access to, and should use.  However, just because the task is on the computer doesn't mean that it's appropriate or effective enough, teacher's must still think about if the task will really enhance the lesson they are teaching.  Not all tools will, and that's okay because not all traditional lesson plans or tasks will either.  Moderation and effective tasks are the key to educating America's future in a digital society.

Monday's Odds & Ends

I didn't find any great news pieces that caught my eye today, but there are a few odds & ends to mention.

Atlanta Braves pitchers & catchers reported for the first day of Spring Training today, the first game is only 12 days away.

The UGA football schedule has been solidified for quite some time, but here it is officially in case you missed it.

More technology going 3D? This is getting a bit ridiculous.  Stop trying to make everything 3D.