Edu_Rss

Searching kills employee productivity
Toby Ward has written an article summarising recent research on search productivity. To quote: The Center for Media Research reports that professional workers are spending more and more time searching for information. The survey, HotTopics: 2001 vs. 2005: Research Study... From Column Two on August 29, 2006 at 10:45 p.m..

China IPod Journos Speak
A defamation lawsuit against two Chinese reporters investigating working conditions at Apple's iPod factories is sparking a rash of new press about the case. Kevin Holden reports from Beijing. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 8:45 p.m..

The dirtiest spot in your house
My most excellent editor, Robin Dennis, has sent me a marked up version of the first draft of my book. It must weigh the weight of the paper plus two boxes of pencils. She likes it and we're both happy, but I expect to be blogging a little more lightly over the next few weeks as I write the next draft of Everything is Miscellaneous: The Final Draft. [Tags: everything_is_miscellaneous blogging]... From Joho the Blog on August 29, 2006 at 7:49 p.m..

Stewart Butterfield - Great Shot - Where'd You Take That? - Flickr
Flickr has added (finally) geotagging to its photo metadata, which means that photographers can place their photos on a map. This article describes the process. I tested the system and geotagged my photos from Halifax - here is one of the photos, and you can see the geotag information in small print on the right side ("Taken in Halifax, Nova Scotia (map)"). What is interesting to me is how this sort of metadata specification is being developed - not all at once, handed down as though a Bible from a body of experts, but iterat From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Tony Karrer - Web 2.0 and eLearning 2.0 Start-Up Guides - eLearning Technology
A set of guides to introduce people to Web 2.0 (but not really e-learning 2.0, I would say). Good set of links. Also, see All your own work in Web 2.0. [Link] [Tags: Online Learning, Web 2.0] [Comment] From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Stuart Yeates - Vista to Cost US $449 - EDUCAUSE Blogs
I guess it was just a matter of time before the cost of the operating system exceeded the cost of the computer. Don't you find it strange that just about the only computers for sale anywhere require that you also purchase Windows? Don't you think it's time you were able to buy a computer with Linux installed - and save the wasted $449? [Link] [Tags: Microsoft, Operating Syste From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Harold Jarche - LMS circa 1999 - Jarche Consulting
Alfred Essa tries to parse the cryptic claims offered by Blackboard about what their patent actually covers. Not that we really needed more proof, but Harold Jarche has dug up an old report by the Centre for Learning Technologies (CLT) comparing learning management systems in 1999. Writes Jarche, "I've picked a few of the functions out of the tables to highlight how many other commercially available systems were on the market at the From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Sid Yadav - Facebook - The Complete Biography - Mashable
It could hardly be a 'complete biograpgy' in 1,000 words or so, not even with pictures, but this article is a good overview, even if you skim it (see the comments). Facebook, for those of you who may be wondering, is a wildly popular social networking service (slash dating service, but don't tell anyone I said that) exclusively for university students. Via heyjude. [Link] [Tags: OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Dean Shareski - Every Music Video Ever Online - Ideas and thoughts from an EdTech
As Dean Shareski says, "Youtube announced they hope to put every music video ever online." Which is a good thing, because the music video TV stations have long since given up airing them. [Link] [Tags: ] [Comment] From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Bronwen - Bronwen
People like Bronwen should be celebrated (and also held up as evidence that people are engaged in society, even if they have (for good reason) given up on the political process). She said, on the news item tonight, "I was bullied for nine years, and then I became a bully myself. So I've seen both sides." On her website she writes, "I am no longer suffering, but the effects linger. Sometimes when I take on a big project (like this album) I hear the little voices in my head saying youre not good enough, youre not popular enough, youre not pretty enough, people wont like you. All of the crap From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Jay Cross - Where I'm Coming From - Internet Time
My comment was simply swallowed up by Jay Cros's website; maybe it was accepted, maybe it was filtered, maybe it just disappeared (please, people, if you are modertaing comments, add a notice to your website, and if your system filters spam, at least let commentators know - I spent way too much time today trying to post comments on people's websites). Anyhow, what I said to this post, in essence, is this: We are all coming from somewhere. And when I write, if you see an anger in my writing, it is because I am coming from somewhere too. And when you rebrand things like blogs and RSS, From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

cel4145 - Free Electronic Textbooks Include Advertisements - Kairosnews
Once again, people will be out and about, saying "what's the harm?" Here is my acid test: can I buy advertisements in the textbooks for things like Buy-nothing Day, or condemning the use of child-labour in the production of shoes in sweatshops? No? I certainly can't advertise these things (and many others) on television. And if I can't buy these advertisements, then it's not just about the free market at work, it's about the propaganda. Think about it. Because I've got some cash ready to buy a nifty ad promoting the black arts in your kid's math From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

Stephen Downes - Ethics and Codes - Half an Hour
There's is something I can't quite put my finger on with regard to recent proposals that students be taught an internet 'code of ethics' but I think I'm getting close. In response to a post from Dave Warlick today, I wrote, in essence, that "the problem is that ethical codes presuppose that ethical questions are settled, but thy are far from settled." Consider downloading, for example - people (including Warlick) still treat file sharing as unethical, and yet it's as though they had never seen the opposing vi From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

William Draves - How Many Calories Are in Coke Zero? - Nine Shift
I've been posting away today, a bit irritably. It's a sick day for me today, as I have a nasty sore throught, I'm a bit feverish, and I'm taking medication that won't let me sleep. I'm trying to get my work done before I leave on a month-long trip to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand this Friday, some work that I want to do, like my video, and other work I don't want to do, like participate in research projects that have utterly nothing to do with my interests or expertise. My computer is acting up - the internet is very slow today, and the keyboard (ye From OLDaily on August 29, 2006 at 7:45 p.m..

The dirtiest spot in your house
What's the one spot people with infectious diseases go to several times a day, spreading their germs carefully over a shared surface? It's your family bottle of hand sanitizer. It's got to have the house's richest concentration of germs. Of course, as my children point out, the sanitizing gel kills the germs that you've picked up from the bottle. So long as you don't miss a spot on your hands. And so long as the stuff actually works. They ought to make the hand sanitizer bottle out of hand sanitizer. Another million dollar idea I give to you for nothing!... From Joho the Blog on August 29, 2006 at 6:46 p.m..

Windows Vista Price, Date Leaked
Listings on Amazon.com hint at possible pricing and release info for Microsoft's next edition of Windows. Plus: Upcoming.org adds Yahoo Local events. In Monkey Bites. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 4:45 p.m..

Napster Responds to Wired News
Bill Pence, Napster's chief technology officer, questions the wisdom of proprietary music DRM in his response to a recent Wired News column. In Listening Post. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 4:45 p.m..

Robot Lovers No Threat
Let's not get carried away in our speculations about what robots will and won't do to sex. In Sex Drive Daily. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 3:45 p.m..

Keyspan Launches Skype Phone
The entry-level handset aims at home and office users. In Gear Factor. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 2:46 p.m..

House Arrest for Hacker
A year of house detention and a $10,000 restitution penalty will no doubt contribute to the continuing maturation of Nicholas Jacobsen, convicted of hacking into T-Mobile's network in 2004. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 2:46 p.m..

Gadget Lab: These Bose Are Boss
In a special double issue of Gadget Lab, the gang looks at incredible noise-cancelling headphones, a tent you can pitch in seconds, a secure backpack for all your expensive gadgets, and more. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 2:46 p.m..

PC Market in Gulf States to Grow Over Next Two Years
PC shipments to the Middle Eastern Gulf market increased nearly 43 percent this past year, with continued growth expected this year and next. From ClickZ Stats on August 29, 2006 at 2:45 p.m..

Islamic Revival in Syria Is Led by Women
The growth of Koranic schools for girls, rare in the Arab world, is a sign that Syria is becoming religious. From New York Times: Education on August 29, 2006 at 11:45 a.m..

Science Projects That Scare Us
Remote-control sharks, pain guns, radioactive scorpion venom ... Bond-like technology is unnervingly real in some labs. By Greta Lorge from Wired magazine. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 6:45 a.m..

Robots Wrote This
Machines replace nurses, personal assistants and bartenders. They're even becoming financial reporters. Is there anything robots can't do? Commentary by Momus. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 6:45 a.m..

Gallery: The Playa Starts to Cook
Wired News posts a photo blog from this year's Burning Man fest in Black Rock, Nevada. Check for more news, updates and pics as the week goes on. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 6:45 a.m..

Is Ubuntu Linux for You, Too?
Warm, fuzzy and free, the open-source operating system is winning over both Windows and Mac users. Ready to try it? Here's what you need to know. By Seán Captain. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 6:45 a.m..

Edit This Wired News Story
Reporter Ryan Singel files a 1,000-word story on the wiki phenomenon. In keeping with its spirit, we're throwing it on a wiki for collaborative editing by our readers. If you don't participate you can't complain about the results. By Wired News Staff. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 6:45 a.m..

Can the PS3 Save Sony?
The company behind the transistor radio and the Walkman finds itself at the precipice. If its new $600 console doesn't blow gamers away, it may be time to say sayonara. By Frank Rose from Wired magazine. From Wired News on August 29, 2006 at 6:45 a.m..

Where I’m coming from
Warning: This is about me, not about learning and performance. My slimehead post drew fire from people who told me sugar-coating is not going to change the world, competition is inevitable, some people will never collaborate, and abundance is limited. I swapped email with a commenter, suggesting he was a pessimist, and he thoughtfully explained that he [...] From Internet Time Blog on August 29, 2006 at 5:45 a.m..

The paradox of choice: an interview with Barry Schwartz
Jared Spool has published an interview with Barry Schwartz, the author of The Paradox of Choice. To quote: Then this psychologist at Columbia did a study when she was a graduate student at Stanford that's now become quite famous, the... From Column Two on August 29, 2006 at 2:45 a.m..

Tips for CMS vendor demos
I'm sure I've written about this before, but I'm spending a lot of time at present helping organisations to select a CMS, and other than the sessions to document requirements the single biggest block of time is sitting in on... From Column Two on August 29, 2006 at 2:45 a.m..

Islamic Revival Led by Women Tests Syrias Secularism
The growth of Koranic schools for girls, rare in the Arab world, is one sign that Syria is becoming increasingly religious. From New York Times: Education on August 29, 2006 at 1:45 a.m..

Michigan: Detroit Teachers Strike
Their union, the Detroit Federation of Teachers, overwhelmingly rejected a two-year contract proposal by the district on Sunday. From New York Times: Education on August 29, 2006 at 1:45 a.m..

Personal Health: Help for the Child Who Says No to School
Refusal to go to school is not an uncommon problem. Up to one-quarter of children experience it at some point. From New York Times: Education on August 29, 2006 at 1:45 a.m..

BMWs Custom-Made University
BMWs $10 million gift to Clemson University in 2002 has led to some unusual privileges for the German automaker. From New York Times: Education on August 29, 2006 at 1:45 a.m..

Wikipedia: A Sex-Ed Co-Op
The collective knowledge of humankind should include everything we think we know about sex -- the subject is endlessly fascinating. In Sex Drive Daily. From Wired News on August 28, 2006 at 11:45 p.m..

No service, we’ll just keep your money
You’re probably thinking, “Jay’s time is too valuable to quibble over $25,” and you’d be right. But I take delight in calling the unjust and slovenly to account for their misdeeds. Off the top, I can remember making demands of Lou Gerstner, Howard Johnson, Bill Marriott, the National Highway Transportation Board, the chairman of GM, [...] From Internet Time Blog on August 28, 2006 at 11:45 p.m..