Techno-News Blog

by David Zax, Technology Review

Babak Parviz, who’s heading up the Google Glass project helps refocus, so to speak, what Google Glass is all about. It’s not just that the thing is a heads-up display for the masses. Parviz actually calls this the second big goal of the project–“to have a technology that would allow people to access information very, very quickly.” The first big goal of the project, he explains, has to do more with the fact that Google Glass lives in front of your eyes. Google Glass is about bringing the visual to social computing. It’s about “allow[ing] people to connect to others with images or video.” It’s about emphasizing that which we see, rather than hear or read. Put somewhat awkwardly, it’s about making the eye social. The other main reveal about Google Glass is that the device really still seems to be in experimental stages. You get the impression the project could take a new tack at any moment.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/509456/the-latest-on-google-glass/

By Rachel Metz, Technology Review

Using Wi-Fi would be more practical if we had easier access to more networks. Giving someone access to your Wi-Fi network—say, a visitor to your home or business—can be awkward, involving, among other things, handing out your password. A Swedish startup called Instabridge thinks it has an easier way. Instabridge’s free Android app lets you automatically share Wi-Fi networks with your Facebook friends. Available in a handful of European countries, the app works by taking advantage of the Facebook Connect authentication tool, which lets users to log on to websites with Facebook credentials.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/509121/how-your-facebook-id-can-get-you-more-wi-fi-access/

By Jessica Leber, Technology Review

Touch screens are ubiquitous, but they are often hard to type on because they provide no tactile feedback. Tactus Technology, a startup in Fremont, California, is prototyping touch-screen hardware with buttons that emerge when you need the feel of a physical keyboard and disappear when you don’t. The approach, in which a fluid-filled plastic panel and cylindrical fluid reservoir replace the usual top layer of glass, is among a crop of emerging technologies aimed at adding tactile feedback to make screens feel like old-fashioned keyboards.

http://www.technologyreview.com/demo/508106/a-shape-shifting-smartphone-touch-screen/

By Rachel King, ZDNet

Kevin Gavin, chief marketing officer at ShoreTel, suggested that BYOD won’t be the focus so much as something he referred to as “CYOD.” With stats indicating that employee-owned devices will be compromised by malware at more than double the rate of corporate-owned devices, it’s not surprising why some companies are resistant to the BYOD trend. With employees wanting certain devices, but IT departments holding on to control for dear life, 2013 will bring a year of compromise. The practice of giving employees the ability to “choose their own device” instead of “bring their own device” will increase; which will satisfy security issues concerning the IT department and the desire of choice for employees.

http://www.zdnet.com/predictions-for-it-priorities-and-the-cloud-in-2013-experts-weigh-in-7000008971/?s_cid=e539

By Andrew Brust, ZDNet Big on Data

There’s no shortage of year-ahead predictions in the tech industry. This is especially true in the Big Data world, but I’ve had little desire to write a post around any one Big Data company’s predictions. As it turns out, however, a number of companies in the space sent me their opinions on what’s going to happen next year. So I thought a roundup of some of these Big Data 2013 predictions, along my opinions of them, might be fun.

http://www.zdnet.com/big-data-2013-industry-players-forecasts-7000009034/?s_cid=e539

By Joe McKendrick, ZDNet

The year ahead will continue to be a good one for software developers as organizations seek competitive edge via information technology and analytics. Systems analysts, network/sys admins, network architecsand DBAs also make the top 15 list. Many of the job openings are in the Silicon Valley and Washington, DC metro areas. CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists (EMSI) have released the best bachelor degree jobs for 2013 based on occupations with the most jobs added since 2010. The study uses EMSI’s labor market database, which pulls from over 90 national and state employment resources and includes information on both employees and self-employed workers. Openings for software developers — the number-one job of all jobs) have grown 7% over the past two years, EMSI reports. There are now close to a million positions within the U.S. alone. Opportunities for systems analysts have increased 5% during this time, and there are now about 530,000 positions in the U.S. alone.

http://www.zdnet.com/software-developers-systems-analysts-rated-as-best-jobs-for-2013-7000008848/?s_cid=e539

by the BBC

A smartphone and tablet said to be the first designed by an African company have been launched. The products, designed by Congolese entrepreneur Verone Mankou, are manufactured in China. His company VMK’s devices run Google’s Android software. They will retail at $170 (£105) for the smartphone and $300 (£185) for the tablet. “Only Africans can know what Africa needs,” said Mr Mankou at the Tech4Africa conference in Johannesburg. “Apple is huge in the US, Samsung is huge in Asia, and we want VMK to be huge in Africa.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20850778#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

by the BBC

Hundreds of millions of people in China use the internet, although its content is closely monitored by the authorities. China has tightened its rules on internet usage to enforce a previous requirement that users fully identify themselves to service providers. The move is part of a package of measures which state-run Xinhua news agency said would protect personal information. But critics believe the government is trying to limit freedom of speech. The announcement will be seen as evidence China’s new leadership views the internet as a threat. The Chinese authorities closely monitor internet content that crosses its borders and regularly block sensitive stories through use of what is known as the Great Firewall of China.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20857480#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

by the BBC

A study of 2012’s most read Wikipedia articles reveals striking differences in what proved popular across the different language versions of the online encyclopaedia. Facebook topped the English edition while an entry for adult video actresses did best in Japan. Hua Shan – a Chinese mountain featuring “the world’s deadliest hiking trail” – topped the Dutch list. By contrast, cul-de-sacs were the German site’s most clicked entry. The data was published by a Swedish software engineer Johan Gunnarsson as part of the Wikitrends project. His home land’s most viewed article was a page dedicated to Sweden itself.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20858333#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

By Stephen Chapman, ZDNet

The results are in! These are the top-10 tech gadgets of 2012 in the US, according to search data provided by Google…. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Although the iPad 4 was announced, and released, in November of this year, the iPad 3 reigns supreme as the most searched-for tech gadget in the US in 2012, according to Google! This shouldn’t come as a surprise, seeing as it was the first tablet to bring Retina-display-quality visuals to a tablet. It was quite a beautiful sight to behold when first using one (especially for individuals, like me, who have been using an iPad since before the iPad 3 was released), and I’m not sure the iPad will ever see a greater upgrade than what its 3rd-generation iteration received. Personally, I think I would choose the iPad 3 as my top tech gadget of 2012, too. Either way, this is a fitting end to a list that clearly demonstrates a year rife with tablets and smartphones dominating the tech gadget battlefield. Which tech gadgets will make the cut in 2013? I’ve a feeling this tablet/smartphone trend will continue; but if someone manages to dethrone the great Apple in the tablet war, that will be a story in and of itself!

http://www.zdnet.com/top-10-tech-gadgets-of-2012-via-year-end-google-search-data-7000008796/?s_cid=e539

By Jason D. O’Grady, The Apple Core

2012 was not only the year of the app, it was the year that third-party apps eclipsed their Apple counterparts. For the first time the best email, calendar, notes, camera and messaging apps for iOS don’t come from Cupertino. It’s easy to say that Apple has lost a step or that the pace of innovation has slowed, but I’m more inclined to think that hungry developers increasingly see Apple’s stagnant iOS apps as an opportunity and are capitalizing on it. So recharge your iTunes account balance, it’s time to replace most (if not all) the apps on your home screen.

http://www.zdnet.com/ogradys-best-ios-apps-of-2012-7000008989/?s_cid=e539

By Ed Bott, The Ed Bott Report

Judging by my monthly analytics reports, 2012 was the year of Windows 8. My most popular posts this year were, invariably, about Windows 8. In fact, I continue to get emails every day asking questions about Windows 8 that I’ve covered in posts throughout the year. So I decided to take the 10 questions I’m asked most often about Windows 8 and assemble the answers right here, along with links to articles that go into much greater depth on the topic.

http://www.zdnet.com/your-top-10-windows-8-questions-of-2012-answered-year-in-review-7000009177/?s_cid=e539

by Fred Sitkins, Edudemic

With so many schools adopting the use of iPads I find it strange that we aren’t hearing more about the incredible opportunities available in iTunes U. Well I suppose it isn’t that strange given that schools in the early stages of transitioning to an iPad platform are extremely busy and learning one more thing can seem overwhelming. Trust me, I understand that, but I believe if you were to learn one more thing it should be about the power of iTunes U. The possibilities of this incredible tool are endless. I’d like to provide you with just a few examples of the many uses of iTunes U in the hopes that more schools will join this incredible network of learning resources.

http://edudemic.com/2012/12/itunes-u-courses-methods/

by Frank Kalman, Chief Learning Officer Media

A new survey sheds some light on where learning leaders will invest in learning technology in 2013. Technology is still the hot topic in corporate learning conversations, but how are organizations putting their money where their mouth is? A new survey by learning services provider Impact Instruction Group found that e-learning is still the top learning technology investment heading into 2013, with 86 percent reporting that they are investing heavily in the strategy. Moreover, companies also reported they are focusing their investments in webinars and video — 66 percent and 56 percent, respectively — for learning delivery for next year.

http://clomedia.com/articles/view/learning-technology-where-s-the-money-going

by the Sun-Sentinel Editorial

The digital revolution that’s shaken so many businesses has not bypassed the hallowed halls of higher education, so it is good to see a new focus emerging on how to improve the range and quality of online classes offered by Florida’s universities. To make it happen, Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford this year proposed an audacious idea: create a separate university — Florida’s 13th — dedicated solely to online learning. For sometimes it takes a powerful idea — even a problem-plagued idea — to get people’s attention. Weatherford’s goals are noble. He wants to replicate the success of Florida Virtual School, where more than 122,000 students in grades K-12 “are currently receiving a high-quality education at a fraction of the cost.”

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorials/fl-editorials-florida-universities-online-weatherf-20121230,0,4818775.story

By David Talbot, Technology Review

In the last quarter of 2012, people around the world were projected to buy 225 million smartphones—a 40 percent jump from the last quarter of 2011—adding up to around 700 million sold this year. This epic uptake of powerful mobile devices, plus tablets, marked the defining trend of the year and spurred the creation of new communications technologies, business models, and wireless policy changes. This period of extraordinary growth didn’t feature any major new product breakthroughs and included an uncharacteristic stumble by Apple over the terribly flawed mapping app the company introduced in September.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/508966/a-banner-year-for-mobile-devices/

By Tom Simonite, Technology Review

One of the most interesting threads of innovation in computing over the past 12 months can be traced back to the preceding year. In 2011, Apple’s virtual assistant Siri showed how software and computers could be more than just tools—something closer to collaborators. In 2012, Apple’s competitors extended that notion in ways that could shape all kinds of technology for years to come. The company that first created Siri, SRI, created a similar system capable of working as a bank teller. Meanwhile, Google launched two alternative versions of a mobile assistant. Google Now, built into newer Android smartphones and tablets, works like a search engine in reverse—offering up data such as weather forecasts, traffic reports, or transit times when it thinks a person needs that information.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/508971/a-look-back-at-predictive-assistants-and-lurching-giants/

by Ken Yeung, The Next Web

More than half of consumer activity during Christmas day took place on mobile devices, according to a study released today by mobile analytics platform Mixpanel. Based on its analysis of over 695 million actions, the study shows a 11 percent increase the week prior to the holiday. Defining an action as anything from logging into an app, making a purchase, or completing a level in a game, Mixpanel said that 51% of all online activity came from mobile devices, although not by much. But the power of the mobile web and apps is rapidly increasing and has influenced how people consume content. In looking at the week prior, the study found that mobile devices accounted for 40% of all actions, leading Mixpanel to conclude that the holiday generated more traffic than regular days.

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/12/27/christmas-day-mixpanel-study-more-online-activity-on-mobile-devices/

by Carol Clark-Emory, Emory University

Neurobiological research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has begun to identify brain networks associated with reading stories. Most previous studies have focused on the cognitive processes involved in short stories, while subjects are actually reading them as they are in the fMRI scanner. The study focused on the lingering neural effects of reading a narrative. Twenty-one Emory undergraduates participated in the experiment, which was conducted over 19 consecutive days.The results showed heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, on the mornings following the reading assignments.

http://www.futurity.org/reading-novels-leaves-shadow-activity-brain/

By Audrey Watters, Inside Higher Ed

On Saturday, I took a ride in one of Google’s self-driving cars. “This will be the most incredibly boring drive ever,” joked the car’s developer Sebastian Thrun. Incredibly boring indeed. I mean, sure, the trip was utterly uneventful: the car cruised along I–280 without incident, just like any Saturday morning drive should go. The other cars did slow and swerve when they saw the Lexus with the Google logo, the little camera on the top, and the words “self-driving car.” Drivers and passengers turned and stared. Amazed. I was amazed. Yes, uneventful, but also was the most incredible drive I’ve ever taken (beating out that time when I was sixteen and a friend and I “borrowed” her stepdad’s Corvette). There was Thrun with his hands off the wheel, feet off the pedals, eyes not on the road, explaining how the car (and Google) collected massive amounts of data in order to map the road and move along it. The car does have lots of cameras and sensors, but the technology (hardware at leastI) wasn’t really that overwhelming — the car’s computer quite small, tucked away in the corner of the trunk. It all worked flawlessly. Just another passenger vehicle on the road — how banal.

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/hack-higher-education/top-ed-tech-trends-2012-automation-and-artificial-intelligence

by Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

Pinterest and education go hand in hand. If you haven’t started using the popular social bookmarking site, you may want to give it a try during your break this week. What better time to discover new and exciting resources from teachers, admins, and students around the world? We try to keep a regular flow of Pinterest boards on Edudemic. As you can see from the article linked above, there’s no shortage of interesting boards you can follow, repin, and learn from. Due to the popularity of the last post on Pinterest, I thought it might be worthwhile to organize the submitted education technology Pinterest boards so you can see them. Below is a list of all the education technology boards submitted to Edudemic over the past few months. We’ve done our best to go through them and make sure they’re relevant and useful. There are thousands of useful education technology Pinterest boards out there and we’ve only just scratched the surface. Hope you find some of these boards useful!

http://edudemic.com/2012/12/education-technology-pinterest-boards/