EduGeek Journal

I was a bit surprised today when I saw Matt’s Jaiku post about Google buying Jaiku. (See Jaiku’s announcement and Google’s blog post.) Now, I know this is a conversation that’s been going on a long time now and has been a concern for many, but it still just really amazes me and kind of [...]

These two online presentations popped up in my daily feeds. Just finished reading through them and thought you’d find them interesting. An in-depth look at the history of today’s social web. Tweet This Post

Interesting news in micro-blogging. Twitter will soon release it’s newest feature — the ability to search in real-time for key words and get results from recent twitter posts. (Read full ZDNet article here.) ZDNet notes that this will allow Twitter to become “the ultimate buzz tracker for those who are interested in what’s being talked [...]

IBM’s recent announcement that it’s offering a IBM Lotus Symphony, a free desktop alternative to Microsoft’s Office suite, coupled with the recent release of Google’s online presentation application, should have the folks in Redmond sweating bullets. (As Matt mentioned in his Jaiku feed, IBM also recently announced its relationship with OpenOffice.org, in which they plan [...]

Google announced yesterday that they’ve added the ability to create/share/upload presentations using their Google Docs online application. While they’ll have to compete with established online presentation sites such as ZohoShow and Slideshare.net, Google is quickly becoming a viable alternative to Microsoft Office. Should Bill, Steve, and company be worried? I think so. Read a review [...]

Found an interesting tidbit of info in the Campus Technology magazine that came today in the mail — “Blackboard to Give Away $25,000 Greenhouse Grant for Virtual Worlds”. This program will award the prize for successful integration of online virtual communities (i.e. There.com or Second Life) into the teaching and learning experience. Guidelines have been [...]

Got an interesting letter from the Lindens this morning. Hmm… is this the first step in a move toward a unified Teen+Adult Grid? Let’s hope so. Hello, [My Account Name]. As you may have heard, we’re implementing the first stage of an Identity Verification system beginning with age. Our ultimate goal is to give Second [...]

Here’s an interesting video where physical pieces are used to manipulate simulations using a multi-touch screen. Very interesting, with potentially lots of possibilities. Pico is a computer interface that can move electromagnetic pucks, merging the digital and physical worlds. In this video from earlier this year, see how researcher James Patten has used his unique [...]

Occasionally, something interesting will come through the university’s Staff mailing list. Late last week, someone sent us a link to the Council of Graduate Schools‘ recent publication “What Growing Up with Google May Mean to Graduate Education“. I’m currently reading through it, and it’s just too interesting to keep to myself. Much discussion on the [...]

Google’s opened up the skies to us, as today they released the Sky View in the latest update for Google Earth. Just as you can zoom in on remote locations on Earth and see more and more details, you can zoom in on areas in space and new worlds appear. Zoom in on a perfect [...]