Andy Brown gave me a glow

Andy Brown gave me great demo of glow this morning but this evening he gigged at teachmeet awesome blog of hs own  !!!!http://www.whereisab.co.uk/blog/

geography ghost ship mystery

Great url to do with teaching using multimedia http://www.geographyalltheway.com/ib_geography/ib_population/ghost_ship/ghost_ship.htm

teachmeet08

wont blog this till friday but at teachmeet 08 at scottish learning festival  just google teachmeet 08 not just awesome but completely humbling for example John Dabro work with bsed learners a becta project (nothing to do with me but great )

Open source Tosh go into the market place with a high spec low cost UMPC

Now I ihnted ad showed photo's of this a while but now the new is out .

XP and Ubuntu a the latter a first for Tosh

Powered by the 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU,
web cam
3 usb ports
ethernet
neat sleep and charge feature for USB devices
http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/17730/18754/toshiba-nb100-netbook-uk.phtml

120gb kinetic hard drive and a 3 hours 47 minutes battery life .

This read like a compact high spec laptop not just a low cost machine for travelling occasional use !!!

not a bad machine

What's elephant in the room stopping uptake of m learning.

What's elephant in the room stopping uptake of m learning.

Dave whyley assesment

Geoff need to deconstuct teaching

Elizabeth Hartnell Young teacher attitude

Mike Short making it easier and valid used example of iPhone

Sent from my iPod
My blog http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com

best quote from molenet

Chris ex learner at of Wandsworth clc Gave best quote of Molenet dissemination event about lifewise project
http://www.wandsworthclc.org/gunandknife/

you just cant give people mobiles you've got to have people behind them !! quote from learners at Lifewise project.

Molenet Dissemination conference

At the event today in London disseminating work from the MoLeNET projects.

 http://www.molenet.org.uk/events/facetofaceeven/conf/index.aspx

looking forward to seeing the projects placed centre stage.

Future school desk in the news

Well done to the Durham University Cetl for getting there work on innovative design and spaces for learning in the news including this great story that made newsround !!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7620000/newsid_7621200/7621237.stm

OLPC the old and the new

The world having gone mad for umpc after the asus crashed the consumer market almost a year ago ? TheOLPC or as it was trailled wrongly $100 laptop has gone a bit quiet. I have managed to borrow one from Seb who sourced one via the US under the give one get one programme . I am looking at it over next few days and will give my impressions.



two together rare sight



one at altc on its own.

the whole concept is one to get your head round . I am interested in the mesh capability. I will report soon.

Interesting work based learning project

Interesting project http://surfwblway.blogspot.com/ if your interested in work based learning Main project website can be found at http://www.staffs.ac.uk/COSE/WBLWAY/

Large scale study of South African Students

 Laura czerniewicz presented interesting paper on a large scale study with interesting this to say about how students use technology especially mobile technology in South African Universities .

worth a look
https://alt.conference-services.net/reports/template/onetextabstract.xml?xsl=template/onetextabstract.xsl&conferenceID=1272&abstractID=229636

photo's of tosh umpc

Ok this isnt probably final but here are some poor photos of this device launched soon !!



[Caption]

[Caption]

[Caption]

[Caption]

BBC you and yours catches up with Andy !!

You and yours is talking of using wool insulation . Well mates our under floor insulation in our new extension is wool .


http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/

Tosh to enter the lower cost UMPC area ?

Technology innovator Toshiba have been notably absent from the current rush of umpc,ulcpc the asus,elonex,rm to name a few. Well my spies tell me its coming.
its rumoured to have

• robust build I expect large storage remember they made the kinetic hard drives for Ipod 80- 120 gb has been talked of.
• USB ports 3
  
• battery life longer than existing offers
  
• SD card and maybe memory stick
• web cam
  
• Great display
• Choice of operating system linux ? or Windows ?
• a price point just over £200 mark

The thought is that its a fully functioning rich media laptop not the cut down version. Interesting entry to the market. Its all getting interesting !

ALTC this week brdging digtal divide

ALTC conference this week and reading the conference materials looks like a good one .

http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2008/


Crowdvine http://www.crowdvine.com/home is being used and already it has helped inform me of whoses attending and sessions. Going to twitter using my andyb tag and blog going to be busy week .

Using phones in education

Big round of applause for Facebook friend Elizabeth Hartnell Young Becta research grant funded work on mobile phone use in secondary education .

The daily mail picked up on http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1052279/Children-allowed-use-mobiles-class-help-learn-study-says.html

Read the actual work at http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=15482

picasa upgrade contains facial recognition software

How amazing is this latest version of picasa scans your photos for faces and recognises faces and tags them automatically.

http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Picasa_Upgrade_Gives_Photo_Sharing_a_Facelift

Chrome polishes up nicely ?

Hi all

you cant of missed the launch of Google foray into the browser market place .

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7593106.stm

Now Ive only used it for an hour it is BETA !! But it seems interesting nice clean interface. It hasn't got many plug ins yet but they wont be far behind. The rumours that it isn't a forerunner to an operating system have been rubbished by many. 

But to be honest with Google apps etc and my longed mentioned strapline "The answer is the browser "and the fact many even offline applications will work through the browser watch this space . Read the storyboard at 

http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/#

Digital Communications Knowledge Transfer Network host a framework 7 an introduction event

Digital Communications Knowledge Transfer Network http://www.dcktn.org.uk/are promoting a introduction to Framework 7 on September 11th in London details in pdf can be fund here

If you don't know about framework 7 are are serious about developing large ICT projects well worth attending.

Google geo location api and google gear

Read the post wonder and think damm clever people at Google another corner turned on the journey !!

http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-gears-geolocation-api-powers-mobile.html

OS integration with windows mobile is interesting I give it ten days before the iphone version emerges !!

Top gear if you have the right car !!

The browser goes visual and beyond

The browser is getting more visual.I used flock (a mozilla browser that integrates browsing and social network and other feed type tools) for a while but have lapsed back into to Firefox. Though recently I have downloaded the webmynd plug in for Firefox that records your browsing a graphic you can call up in a film style strip or a thumb nail gallery http://webmynd.com

Also Mozilla have launched an experiment called Snowl that allows on to arrange feed and messaging within the browser sounds worth following http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-215070.html

Communication Growth

This ofcom report confirms what youve all been thinking the communication future is mobile. Look at BBC piece but do read the whole report.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7559557.stm

Frontline SMS

Got to give Ken Banks of Kiwanja.net blog a huge plug. A thought provoking post that makes you remember SMS is more than a fun technology . Remember those workers for NGO's around the world.

http://www.blogspot.kiwanja.net/2008/08/frontlinesms-on-frontline.html

Google docs add templates

Interesting move by google docs templates have a look.
http://docs.google.com/templates

sign of increasing maturity of the Google offer.

Widgets Apps WordPress

Well hows about this Wordpress have produced an app for the Ipod Touch and Iphone http://iphone.wordpress.org and its free works well on my wordpress blog (I dont use it very much). So come on Google where is the Apps for publishing to blogger

32 GB embedded NAND flash memory

Ignore the technobable but just think in really small space in MP4 players, phones, how much memory do you need this is the size of laptop kinetic hard drive 5 years ago !!

http://www.toshiba.com/taec/news/press_releases/2008/memy_08_536.jsp

If I am correct tosh produce the memory for Ipod touch, Iphone . The current 32Gb Touch has two 16GB NAND chips so repeat this and you get 64GB Ipod Touch bring it on !!!

Twofour learning blog

I don't usually comment on companies but had this blog pointed out to me . Doing interesting stuff for a range of clients and range of platforms technologies and keeping a focus on what is good for learners,learning . They also seem to be willing to share and discuss it which is no bad thing .

http://twofourlearning.blogspot.com/

As always no endorsement just personally found it interesting.

Web survey for Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience - Survey of use of Web 2.0 technologies in teaching, learning, support and administration

Tom Franklin of Franklin Consulting

is undertaking an international study of the use of Web 2.0 technologies in teaching, learning, support and administration. As part of this study we are collecting evidence, in the form of case studies, of the use of Web 2.0 in higher education in the United Kingdom, Australia, The United States of America, South Africa and the Netherlands.

If you have been using Web 2.0 in your practice he would be very grateful if you would complete the survey, which can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=MZjfSlt_2buoldTLQM0ZxB1A_3d_3d or http://tinyurl.com/65ub2s .

Completing the survey should take around 20 - 30 minutes, and if you leave your email address we will send you the draft report for comment and final report.

Please feel free to forward to all interested parties

If you have any questions please contact Tom via his website http://www.franklin-consulting.co.uk/ .

Location Location Location

This is the outputs from an interesting event on Location Based Services at the National Physics laboratory as part of the DIUS funded (formerly DTI) Knowledge Transfer Networks . This KTN of Location and timing is close to my heart


http://lat.globalwatchonline.com/epicentric_portal/site/lat/events/2008/locationapplications/

E learning guild 360 report on mobile learning

going to look at this over the weekend. Interesting to see what those over the Atlantic think.

http://www.elearningguild.com/research/archives/index.cfm?action=viewonly2&id=132

MOBILE LEARNING


What it is, why it matters, and how to incorporate it into your learning strategy

by Steve Wexler, Judy Brown, David Metcalf, David Rogers, and Ellen Wagner

also doing free webinar 8.30 -9.30 Pacific time check your time difference might be worth a listen details and register here

Unsung hero's of mobile learning

Some of you may follow the Handheld learning forum www.handheldlearning.co.uk BTW only few days remaininig of early bird discount for the October conference and that free Nintendo DS.
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com

The site has been running a series of interviews on hero educators including great colleagues in the mobile learning field like Derek Robertson
http://www.handheldlearning.co.uk/content/view/46/
and Mike Sharples
http://www.handheldlearning.co.uk/content/view/55/ .


I have a new category to suggest Unsung hero's of mobile learning. I.e those working in the frontline teaching young and not so young people .

Can I embarrasss two of them by naming them Colin Bell and Mick Mullane of Yorkshire Coast College . Mick is well known in the technical area of mobile and Colin is a frontline practitioners working in the field of podcasting vodcasting with a range of engineering motor vehicle learners . Ive been moving my practice with my ipod touch up a gear and wanted to present from it . Problem two sets of cables you can buy. Rang Apple support sadly not there usual Apple savvy selves. Then rang Mick who put me onto Colin and sorted the problem in fact Colin Bless him provided online support by SMS when setting up .
Whays even funnier is I actually sourced cables from my local Argos .

Andys thought for the day is technology well on the way to being
mainstream when it appears in Argos and fully embedded when it appears
at Sainsbury's Tesco !!!


Colin and Mick Step up to the podium unsung hero's of mobile learning !!!

John Daviit the Iphone and Baking what an eclectic post

Having seen John Davitt http://newtools.org
demonstrate how he has scanned six years of passport sized note books on to his Iphone earlier in the week. This morning I had another revelation when looking for recipe for pancakes. House re build gong on cook books packed away house asleep need i say more. I was brought up with bero cook book http://www.be-ro.com/index.asp
it is now avaiable partially on-line now John I might get that Iphone scan my favourite recipes http://www.be-ro.com/f_insp.htm
when the rush dies down !!!

By the way great pancakes !!!

Mike Short the serial dating phenomena is recognised

Excuse the blog posting title and personal nature of this post . Mike Short a man that makes my skills of making connections to people and events look decidely shabby has been recognised by Staffordshire University with honorary doctorate. Well done Mike
http://web20.telecomtv.com/pages/?newsid=43467&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10&view=news

Times article How the Google generation thinks differently

Thanks to Bob for pointing this article out . Have a read do you agree or disagree let me know ? post a comment .

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article4295414.ece

Alan November goes all Northern European

Well North American based Alan November viewed by many as a guru as regards e-learning holds his own conference this summer and the Keynotes are both European .

John Davitt
Ewan Mcintosh

both legends in their own lunch time or is it lunchbox

check the keynotes out at http://novemberlearning.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108&Itemid=122

Good stuff great speakers and thinkers and importantly doer's !!

Google Gears for Mobile ??

was just thinking of this as an idea last week and then came invite to next Mobile Mondays London Chapter meeting 14th July . Guess what one of the presentation tiles was

Google Gears Mobile - Charles Wiles

looking forward to it already

Local zone from vodafone

Ok its vodafone New Zeland but this seems an interesting development http://www.vodafone.co.nz/local-zone/ wonder if they will introduce it here.

Ethics of researching and managing mobile learning Workshop at University of Bristol

I couldn't make this event but colleagues ( friends) were kind enough to share the session with the world . Really great to see discussion around ethics of researching mobile learning really well worth a look and a bit of relection !!

https://www.bris.ac.uk/education/research/networks/mobile/events/iaswshop7notes

serendipity leads to cycling article

Travelling back from work on a nightmare train journey had a great conversation with a Librarian from Cambridge University and her daughter . Web 2.00 conservation serendipity and she pointed out a great article on cycling in Copehagen no technology but great article !!

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2287337,00.html

Iphone as a tool for education

Watch the video from Abilene Christian University who are leading with IPhone development in educational institutions . if you get some time ignore the hype .



The reflections on this blog I read sort of mirror my thoughts

http://enkerli.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/visualizing-touch-devices-in-education/

Interesting blurring of social ,teaching and learning and education administration .
ignore the over production ;-))) think about the content .

It doesnt have to be an iphone a range of devices are emerging !!

FriendFeed

http://friendfeed.com

Blogged from gmail on my iPod touch. Thanks to those powerhouses at edte.ch for this. Hailed by many as the new twitter. Seems a more spotaneos less formal  version of Plato worth a look.

From Toy to Tool Cell phones in learning

Interesting site (North American) on use of cellphones in education. Thanks Bob for pointing this out !!

http://www.cellphonesinlearning.com/
From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning

UMPC is a new class emerging the ULCPC

The class of Ultra Mobile PC's or low format notebooks has been quite a disruptive technology in the Mobile learning area. The smart phone types suggest they are neither a smart phone or full spec laptop capable of manipulating rich media . There are it appears two classes of machine in terms of specification.

Rich Media devices (small versions of full spec laptops )
Low media devices functions including a range of text editing media viewing.

It strikes me now we have
1)UMPC's (small version of conventional laptops at a cost !!)
2) ULCPC Ultra Low Cost PC's.( cut down version of cnventional laptops with limited functionality)

the next evolution in the chain is smartphone connectivity to conventional monitor and keyboard when in the office environment . The Iphone is it appears nearest to this capability but not quite

APT STAIRS a alternative" Stairway to heaven"

Was lucky enough to attend launch event of APT STAIRS Project (Appropriate Practical Technologies for Students,Teachers, Administrators and Researchers )

Interesting Jisc funded project invovlng looking a cloud computng in this case Google docs and other parts of Google Apps

it involves demonstrator projects in the 6 colleges in the bloomsbury group of UCL

key point to the projects are

• collaboration
  
• communication
  
• coordination

The project invovlves members of the college communties using technologies for collaboration for academic work.

Lots of small projects using google docs across 6 institutions
vet school around placements in first year.
London international development centre using google doc to manage membership
School of Pharmacy drug classification project using Google Docs
Birkbeck science collation data

A member Google staff gave an interesting presentation on what exactly is Google Apps . Remember other products are available including a powerful offer from Microsoft.http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/exchangelabshelp/bb847823.aspx

introduced idea of taking away some in house services and replace it via the "cloud".

Major advantages of cloud computing

• scalability
• collaboration that just wasnt possible before
  
• cloud continual timeline of innovation in stepped changes
  

the apps allow mere mortals to produce tools and collaboration platforms .

education the role of apis to integrate with exisitng institutinal services is common.

the google strap mantra

• communication
• collaborate
• simplify
• innovate

www.google.com/a/edu


watch the youtube video introducing google Apps

Great project interested to see what evolves. follow the project at www.bloomsbury.ac.uk/apt

I Tunes U

Apple going to have a major push in the UK using I Tunes that's the rumour. The fact there stateside I Tunes U guru is over in the UK might be one to watch. Watch the Tunes space ;-)

Piece in Secondary Education magazine

Education in the hand .

Not going to comment on this I contributed but you might be interested. I didn't choose the picture

http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/features/article.html?uid=4010

Unkind words for first projector phone

Ignore the words just thinks projection from phone has arrived and it maybe generation 1.0 but watch it improves. So interface is a bit iphone like but who cares .


http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/13/worlds-first-projector-cellphone-is-also-an-iphone-clone-in-ro/

Firefox Mobile Concept Video. The mobile space just got FOXY !! Well nearly

Firefox is coming to mobile. The innovation, usability, and
extensibility that has propelled Firefox to 200 million users is set to
do the same for Firefox in a mobile setting.

Ok this is only concept and few screencasts and video but design and thinking looking very cool read about it and watch it at :


http://azarask.in/blog/post/firefox-mobile-concept-video

the thinking and discussion on realted posts on the blog is well worth reading !!

Spoof Apple introduces the iPhone 3G Videoconferencing Kit, ZOMG!

This spoof reminds my of the good old VIZ joke "why bother with expensive binoculars just move closer to the object your looking at "? From gizmodo !!!



http://gizmodo.com/5015395/apple-introduces-iphone-3g-videoconferencing-kit-zomg

Serious Allotments in Dundee

Ok its not about technology but hows this for a cool visit. Derek Robertsons Allotment


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Microsoft Labs

Just picked up this through contacts at Microsoft http://labs.live.com/
The Microsoft lab group well worth a look.

Look at the photosynth stuff

http://labs.live.com/National+Geographic+Goes+Synthing.aspx

UK university lectures on iTunes

University College London, the Open University and Trinity College Dublin are putting lectures onto iTunes.

Available on iTunes U another move to M in the learning space ??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7431918.stm

Google Gadgets for Linux appears

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6240914.html

any interest to you linux bods ?

Handheld Learning Awards last date for nominations has now been extended to August 15th

Not a duplicate post but to inform you of change of entry deadline.

last date for nominations has now been extended to August 15

go on if your doing stuff with mobile and learners apply you just might win !!

The Becta supported Handheld Learning Conference runs this year from Oct 13th-15th in London.
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com

All delegates registered before July 31st receive a free Nintendo DS and game to keep and bring to the conference.

The Handheld Learning Awards are being hosted at a party in London on October 13th as part of the conference.

The purpose is to celebrate those practitioners, learners and participants who have excelled in the use of emerging technologies for the improvement of their learning and teaching practice.

We are seeking nominations in 4 categories:

1) Primary
2) Secondary
3) Further education ; Tertiary
4) SEN

Within each category we are looking for nominations for a practitioner and an innovation which could be a product, service, initiative or organisation.

We are also seeking nominations for our Special Achievement Award.

We expect nominations to be either made by the nominee themselves or by others.

Nominations are by a simple form and must be submitted by June 6th.

Judges will be announced by July 31st.

Finalists will be announced by September 19th.

Please make your nominations at:
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com/awards

Handheld Learning Awards

go on if your doing stuff with mobile and learners apply you just might win !!

The Becta supported Handheld Learning Conference runs this year from Oct 13th-15th in London.
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com

All delegates registered before July 31st receive a free Nintendo DS and game to keep and bring to the conference.

The Handheld Learning Awards are being hosted at a party in London on October 13th as part of the conference.

The purpose is to celebrate those practitioners, learners and participants who have excelled in the use of emerging technologies for the improvement of their learning and teaching practice.

We are seeking nominations in 4 categories:

1) Primary
2) Secondary
3) Further education ; Tertiary
4) SEN

Within each category we are looking for nominations for a practitioner and an innovation which could be a product, service, initiative or organisation.

We are also seeking nominations for our Special Achievement Award.

We expect nominations to be either made by the nominee themselves or by others.

Nominations are by a simple form and must be submitted by June 6th.

Judges will be announced by July 31st.

Finalists will be announced by September 19th.

Please make your nominations at:
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com/awards

Mapping the webs next utility

This title is my phrase but the article in the US Financial Times seems to bear me out

Way to go? Mapping looks to be the web's next big thing

http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto052120081442070883

my background first in IT was as a geographer 25 years ago doing some of the first computer cartgography and mapping using Apple IIe and mainframe packages symap and symvu . It was a grat but painful experience now its a dream come true its all on the web and increasingly accessed via your mobile or computer .

getting Buzzword

The answer is the browser I have often said and this addition to adobe offerring buzzword currently in beta is the most fully fuctional web base word processor I have yet come across http://blogs.adobe.com/acom/

worth a look at and maybe a contrast with google docs as always you decide !

Digizen youve got to look at this !!

Now this report part funded by a Becta research grant has just gone live and if your interested in

• e-safety
• young peoples behaviours online
• social networking

youve got to have a look http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/
for a overview or click the link to download whole report in PDF Download the complete report
The comparison area is particularly good
http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/snsComparison.aspx

Learning from digital natives: bridging formal and Informal learning .

Interesting report commissioned by the HEA by
Kathryn Trinder
Jane Guiller
Anoush Margaryan
Allison Littlejohn (Glasgow Caledonian University)
David Nicol (Strathclyde University)

Abstract
Formal and informal learning have been viewed as competing paradigms,
however, students are increasingly adopting the tools and strategies for informal
learning within formalised educational settings.
This project explored the affordances of the informal practices of students in
higher education by examining ways in which they used e-tools such as personal
digital devices, communication tools, and social networking.
Barriers and enablers as examples of such e-tool integration within international
research and practice were identified, and recommendations made on
pedagogical, socio-cultural, organisational and technological aspects of the use of
informal tools to support formal learning within higher education.

Basically well worth a read if your interested in trends in education and social media .


link here

Open day at Islay School.

Islay open day one of my regular readers (Hi Ian). Ian on the Isle of Islay is having a an ICT Open Day on Friday 13th June 08.

This is being aimed at parents, and local businesses, but anyone interested in what they are doing is more than welcome.

Ian is doing great stuff with ICT with mobile and other devices but to be honest as always the pupis are stars.

Ian has more detail on his blog at http://islayian.blogspot.com/2008/05/ict-open-day.html

He is also using google web forms to register peoples interest.

I cant go I am in Scotland 11-12 June ;-( .

Good luck Ian would love to come and loving my rugby (see Islay beach Rugby) would have made a weekend of it. If you do it next year send the dates a bit earlier but good luck.


If you can make it go it wont be a waste of your time !!!!
Being a bit clever and using bloggers recently added ability to date stamp post into the future so they appear at top f the blog for longer . So hopefully more people notice Ians efforts. BTW his blog is in my blog roll.

RSC Eastern New Build event :How new college buildings are creating the ‘wow factor’

Great to see how RSC Eastern are making the new on jisc announce after there recent highly succesful event on new build in FE . Read the great write up at


http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2008/05/rscevent.aspx

lookout for presentations on RSC Eastern website and podcast interviews with presenters participants. http://info.rsc-eastern.ac.uk/index.asp
RSC Eastern New Build event "How new college buildings are creating the ‘wow factor’"

Parents speaker louder than ever

Parents Speak Up Louder Than Ever. Kingswood
College of Arts in Hull gains an unprecedented response rate for their
mobile phone parent consultation.

Read more
OnePoint Surveys work with Kingswood College of Arts in Hull to
gain an unprecedented response rate for their mobile phone parent
consultation. The college sent a mobile phone survey to 159 year
7 parents and within a day received 54 completed surveys (34% response
rate). This is a dramatic increase on previous paper based
consultations where the college has received just one or two responses
from the parents from the entire school.
http://www.onepointsurveys.com/box/news18.aspx

mobile web predictions 2008-2009

one persons prediction do you agree or not ? Got any other suggestions.

• Increasing numbers of people accessing the Internet on their mobile phones
• Mobile advertising surges ahead.
• Shift from messaging to Internet for data usage on mobile phones.
• Mobile commerce of physical goods will come of age.
• The PC and mobile will become closely linked.

http://suresh-mobileweb.blogspot.com/2008/05/mobile-predictions-for-2008-2009.html

May edition of Tech news available

Becta's regular lo0k at whats tech in education is out now for download with amongst other things analysis pieces on:

• Context awareness
• Handheld games consoles
• Robots in education
• Online reporting

download it at
http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=13669


Tech news pages on Becta website are on my links panel

Desktop Asus

Thanks to Ian Stewart for this. Desktop eeepc ?







http://crave.cnet.co.uk/desktops/0,39029426,49297099,00.htm

death of the computer lab ??

Interesting piece but up to you if you think its true

http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i38/38a01301.htm.

worth a read.

MID or Smartphone call them what you like its all getting interesting

As Engadget puts it "iPhone vs. HTC Touch Diamond vs. Xperia X1... Fight!" Its all getting interesting as I have been predicitng for a while.

The killer device like the killer app for mobile doesnt yet exist and probably never will. But the tipping point in functionality moved on by the Iphone is being caught up and some would say surpassed ( Iwouldnt of course pass comment) by other device manufacturers devices and specifically device specifications.

Worth a read a love the visuals
.http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/29/iphone-vs-htc-touch-diamond-vs-xperia-x1-fight/

Mobile web the new cash cow

Interesting piece of work by juniper research . Does make me think back to a economist article that the mobile web is the hope for making money from the internet !
worth a read.


http://www.juniperresearch.com/shop/viewpressrelease.php?pr=91

Beyond Blogs Newsweek points to social media

Interesting article reflecting on an original article three years ago on how blogs would change your business
. The year was 2005, and the story was "Blogs Will Change Your Business."

this update is worth a read.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_22/b4086044617865.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_dialogue+with+readers

Frontline sms now this is such a cool use of technology

Discovered this via the great podcasts from the www.theworld.org The World is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston.

I listened on the train ride back home from a great but wet and stormy weekend in Southwold courtesey of my Ipod Touch .

One of the pieces was about frontline sms http://www.frontlinesms.com/what/
developed and promted by Ken Banks and colleagues http://www.kiwanja.net/
I first heard of Kens great work through Mike and his name check on theworld podcast made my ears prick up .

Ken also came up again the silverback guerilla mobile phone game http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/17534 working with flora & fauna international who ironically I used to work with two of there ex staff Martin Hollands and Mike Appleton.

so loads to listen to look at go on !!!

Mobile phone ingenuity in Africa

well what a nice post for me combining my interest in development issues and mobile technology to items of interest on this post. With a recycling and possibly benevolent hacking.

http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/04/15/mobile-phone-ingenuity-in-africa/

Firstly dual sim
This product has two SIM card slots in a single phone - primarily to
support price sensitive/prudent consumers who wish to optimise their
call costs by maintaining SIM cards from two different phone operators.
As in many countries - calls to a customer using a different Ghanaian
operator cost slightly more than those on the same network.


http://www.afrigadget.com/2008/04/15/mobile-phone-ingenuity-in-africa/

The village phone project in Uganda is also trailed well worth a look

http://www.janchipchase.com/blog/archives/2007/01/village_phone.html

whats interesting in the role of Nokia actually looking at how users are using phone rather than telling them what to do with them.

2gether08

Now I cant make this I am elsewhere but its going to be great so book yourself on contribute debate . Steve Moore the unconference facebook king is yet again driving this great event forward for Channel 4

copy below

http://2gether08.com/about/

2gether 2008

Solving bigger problems

2 – 3 July 2008

Rochelle School

Shoreditch

London E2 7ES

Digital innovations are changing our world, the way we perceive it and our notions of what is possible ….

But are we doing enough or being imaginative enough to harness the potential of internet, mobile and games technologies to:

• promote social progress,
• improve the quality of our public life,
• enhance our collective well-being and happiness and
• tackle the most intractable problems facing the world at the outset of the 21st century ?

The first 2gether Festival will bring together over 300 radical
innovators practical visionaries from a wide range of fields to focus
on how using digital technologies we can generate real social benefits.

2gether is not just about wise words and rousing presentations. A
defining hallmark of the Festival will be how we frame problems and
work towards solutions. This will begin on-line, in advance of the
Festival and continue during and after the event.

Imagine what we might be able to achieve…

Who will be there?

An eclectic mix of technologists, policy makers, campaigners, TV
producers, software and games developers, designers, politicians,
digital innovators, writers, bloggers, social entrepreneurs,
philanthropists, leaders from charities, NGOs and leading players in
the marketing, PR, cultural and creative fields as well as anyone else
who believes that creative use of emerging digital technologies can
generate solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Format

Our Festival will include a mix of structured content featuring a
showcase of world class speakers and panels, other more
self-organising, conversational sessions with lots of opportunities and
spaces for people to mingle at their leisure.

We will also be hosting ‘open space’ facilitated
conversations, brainstorming sessions, pecha kucha micro-presentations,
short films, musical performances, a big party and a few surprises!

There will also be “white spaces” to include time and
physical space, that participants can use to develop creative inputs
into the event. These could focus on specific issues, for example
climate change or education, or genres for example, serious games, and
many more experimental interventions.

These will make the most of the ingenuity and expertise of those
present and the opportunity to showcase ideas and solutions that have
been developed in the weeks before and during the event.

2gether will include an opportunity to meet the nominees for the inaugural UK Catalyst Awards, the presentation of the 10th anniversary New Statesman New Media Awards and the launch of Channel 4’s new public service pilot fund 4 Innovation Public.

Personally I might make the party !!

EEEPC in a different form is it coing soon ?

Asus hint at eeepc in a different wrapper

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/23/asus-vaguely-hints-at-alternative-eee-form-factors/

It could look like existing asus pc foorms as above

Anyone for Google sites and the APT STAIRS Project

Google apps has been around for a whole and Trinity University Dublin has been using it with students staff in an educational context fro quite a while.

But this is another project I just been made aware of a really interesting project. The APT STAIRS project is an acronym for Appropriate and Practical Technologies for Students, Teachers, Administrators and Researchers.

They are using JISC funding to run six demonstrator projects across the six Bloomsbury institutions. These demonstrator projects will examine how the latest online collaborative tools (Google Docs) can engage all users in supporting and developing learning, teaching, administration and research.

The Bloomsbury Colleges comprise six internationally renowned HE institutions within the University of London. The Colleges collectively have over 15,000 undergraduate and 14,000 postgraduate students (HESA 2005/05).

They are using a range of google services google docs, calendar mail etc .

Going to be exciting to see what outcomes and impacts the project have.

http://sites.google.com/a/jiscapt.net/project-plan/Home

What interesting on the same day I became aware of Google sites uptil now available for business and institutions only is now available for http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/google-sites-now-open-to-everyone.html

going to have a goodl ook at this over the weekend and get back to when Ive had a good luck. But initial looks like it takes integration and prsentation of google services to a new level but I could be wrong !!

I will see how well it works on my ipod touch as well.

Learning at Work Day

presentation I am giving at work later today as part of learning at work day.

same prsentation in sldr using powerpoint slides exported as jpegs to flickr and made into on screen prsentation using slidr


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

And a different way of seeing same slides using splashr picking up the content from flickr

Handheld Learning 2008

When doing a bit of site maintenance I noticed I had the link for Handheld Learning 2007 in my links in the side bar . Well I have updated it worth keeping an eye on it regularly because I know its being updated very regularly . http://www.handheldlearning2008.com/

plus of course its in the sidebar !!

Xacti camera is it waterproof !!

See photo evidence from teachmeet one Sanyo Xacti in a pint glass of water. Thanks Tessa for the photo!

Mobile 2.0 lands in Barcelona

amongst the teachmeet stuff Mobile 2.0 conference thanks to Bob for sending me this.. Anyone going !!!






http://www.m-trends.org/2008/05/mobile-20-europe-conference.html

visualiser forum

From teachmeet the great the excellent visualiser forum. Some great video clips around improving practice.
http://visualiserforum.blogspot.com

teachmeet

--
Andy Black

"Where Technology and Pragmatism Meet"
blog http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com

"One can resist the invasion of an army but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas" Victor Hugo.

teachmeet

http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com



http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=628488082

SMS Burma Donations by SMS

Thanks Mike for pointing this one out !! from 160 characters.org UK mobile operators have have set up a SMS donation shortcode for the
Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to support the Burma / Myanmar
disaster appeal. Text D0NATE to 83696 to make a £1.50 donation.


http://www.160characters.org/news.php?action=view&nid=2583

Well done uk mobile industry

from Sky


Stephen Fry on the BBC for Dec

So go on get your cash going somewhere it can make a difference victims dont choose the regime they live under !!!

Mobile Mondays London anyone want to push for mobile learning focused event !!

Hi All
Ive been in touch with Dan at mobile Monday promoting an idea of a mobile Monday meeting focussed on m learning. Anybody else keen to get involved ?

Just noticed the Finnish chapter are ahead of us http://www.mobilemonday.fi/event/mobile-learning-need-and-tools

will keep blog readers posted !

Burma flood mapping on Google Maps

Now how about this for stunning using of technology its shows the physical toll of the recent Cyclone Nargus but not the terrible human cost

http://maps.google.com/maps/mpl?moduleurl=http:%2F%2Fmw1.google.com%2Fmw-earth-vectordb%2Fmyanmar20080507%2Fmaps%2Fmapplet.xml&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=16.87,95.4&spn=2.170925,3.273926&z=8

or tinyurl http://preview.tinyurl.com/3s7xv3

Computer Weekly Blog IT awards

Computer Weekly are holding a on-line vote for best IT blog under various categories and you can win £50 Amazon voucher just for nominating . Now not suggesting you vote for Andysblackhole but then again.

The link for the blog awards nomination website can be found at :-



http://www.computerweekly.com/blogawards.htm

Facebook Privacy issues video on YouTube

Now I don't subscribe to conspiracy theories much ? This video on YouTube outlining privacy issues relating to Facebook is worth a watch . As usual no comment but make your own mind up. I do use Facebook extensively . Thanks to Zatz forwarding this video via Facebook of course.

embedding video in blogger via email

How cool is this a video sent as an attachment direct to my blogger account it embeds video in blogger page in a player cool eh !!

Constable Road street sale a very web2.0 event

Well how about this for a very web 2.00 event . Last Sunday about 20 houses in our street each had there own simultaneous garage sale organised by word of mouth and email .

Local photographer and street resident Andy Hendry took these pics and has for the first time used Flckr Ive embedded the shots here slide www.flickrslidr.com

now cutting edge it isnt but isnt it a nice project !! Great Photo's by the way Andy


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Is unlimited really unlimited vodafone 500mb data tariff

From a correspondent re data tariffs on vodafone

the report is as follows

I wanted clarification on the cost of data thereafter on the 500mb.

I had a very interesting conversation where they said that it was an unlimited bundle, but they have to state a cap as nothing in the world is truly unlimited, but they can use the word unlimited so long as they state a price per MB thereafter. What is really interesting here, and I have it in writing from them, the cost per MB thereafter is actually £0.00p – so truly unlimited !!

so get using that data tariff other tariffs providers are available and do check the small print !!!

3M mini-projectors set to land in / with Samsung phones later this year

Mobile projectors here we come 3 years after toshiba bought out the stunning FF1.

samsung are bringing out pico projectors
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/14/3m-mini-projectors-set-to-land-in-with-samsung-phones-later-th/

Texting cost interesting statisitc but is it the full picture

From the metro this morning.
text messaging cost four times as much a receiving info from hubble space telescope .
It costs £85 per MB form hubble and mere 595km form the earth.
1 Mb at 5p a text costs £375.

now this might be not the whole picture but an interesting if unsupported stat all the same.

Clark Quinns New draft white paper on mobile technologies, the devices and the networks

Clark has kindly put a draft white paper out on mobile tech ,the devices and the networks and asked people to comment. Its worth a read and I am sure Clark would welcome your comments white paper can be found here.

Clarks blog can be found at http://blog.learnlets.com/wp/?p=326


go on have look

It’s not all just geek talk and texts – phones are first with the news

Really interesting article that just shows how mobile is changing the face of the information landscape
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3896667.ece

Social networking the future on mobiles

Missed this article in times but one of my roving correspondents spotted in the hard copy . I failed to get hold of hard copy but here link to online version

http://tinyurl.com/6764f2

The article looks how features becoming widely available in mobile devices will change how some use social networking sites.

vodafone unlimited data package for free

Not my words review the small print and remember other operators are available . Is this another step towards the tipping point for mobile you decide ???

Vodafone has just announced that all new and currentcustomers on monthly plans will now have an Unlimited Data Packagethrown in for free. Until now Vodafone had charged £7.50 to add theirUnlimited Data package to a monthly plan.

Of course in the Mobile Industry "Unlimited" is always finite and limited bya fair-use policy. In the past Vodafone have set this limited at a thrifty120MB but the announcement indicates that the limit has been raised toa more useful 500MB.

Tomorrow’s Wireless World: Ofcom report on future communications technology

Thanks to Mike Short and Bob Harrison two mobile enthusiasts dare I say mobile mentors for pointing this out .

Ofcom report on Tomorrows Wireless World report on future communications technology

Tomorrow’s Wireless World scans the horizon ten to
twenty years in the future to discover potentially significant advances
and new, innovative technologies which are being developed that could
improve healthcare and transport provision.

The examples cited in areas of transport and healthcare suggest the ways wireless will be employed in society.

The annexes with graphics to support them like prtrayed below are worth a look
The Ofcom report can be viewed from the following weblink
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2008/05/nr_20080507





Interestingly look at how the Guardian reported the story link here

Hammersmith and Fulham BSF programme video on YouTube

If your involved with or interested in Building Schools for Future Programme you might like to to look at

you might like to look at other videos on the page. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHSdzj52Ozo

Google docs offline hits my account

Hi to Seb Schmoller who first noted roll out of offline access was a geographically biased roll out to US google Docs users. Well they just added offline access to my account and I am currently off to try it on my PC and then my Mac . Now I am not planning to dump my existing Microsoft Office and Open Office Suite on my range of devices . This addition of google doc with the help of google gears to the suite of tools available is another option.

going to give it a try and get back to you !!

Flash on mobiles

Now is this what all you mad keen flash developers having been waiting for !! Is it a firework to kick things of or a damp squib .

read the BBC story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7379575.stm

come on you mobile and flash geeks what do you think !!

Handheld Learning event with Handheld to go !!

Some of my regular readers will know Ive been attending contributing to the handheld learning conference since its first offering at Goldsmiths back in 2005 (cant be that long ago surely !!?) .its grown a bit since then but its still a great place to see stuff and network till your jaw and your feet hurt !! they are also giving away a nintendo DS to those that register early. So go on have read through official stuff below and follow the link


Now the official stuff
http://www.handheldlearning2008.com

The conference takes place from Oct 13th-15th at The
Brewery, Barbican, London EC1 with the first day being open to the general
public. The event is about learning and examines the current and potential
future effects of the proliferation of technologies; from smart phones to low cost laptops, MIDs,
mp3 players and gaming consoles to entertainment software, virtual worlds,
social networks and web 2.0 applications.
This years confirmed speakers include, Andrew Pinder,
Steven Berlin Johnson, John Seely Brown, danah boyd, David Cavallo, Keri Facer,
Mike Sharples and Stephen Heppell.

The conference programme is already extensive in its
scope. In addition to inspiring presentations from some of the worlds leading
thought leaders and practitioners there will be plenty of networking
opportunities as well as participatory sessions and discussions.

The call for papers is open until May 30th and poster
sessions by June 20th.
Our first awards event is also taking place and we're now
taking nominations that celebrate innovative practitioners as well as
initiatives, organisations or products that have made significant impacts on
learning using mobile or ubiquitous technologies.
All "Early Bird" registrations before 31st July
will receive a FREE Nintendo DS handheld with game cartridge for use at the
conference (and to keep afterwards!). Delegates registering for Handheld
Learning will also receive a 10% discount to register for the mLearn.

2008 research conference being held the previous week in
Shropshire.

More information visit:http://www.handheldlearning2008.com