I found the Intel Real Sense Technology to be very intriguing. I found myself doing additional research since my school has a couple 3D printers. My learners love all things 3D and this might be something we could look into at school. This opens up a whole new world of images. You can pretty much just hold the device up to what you would normally just take a picture of and it makes it 3D. I was left in awe of being able to use gestures to control the device without having to touch the device itself. I use a lot of online recipes and when you are cooking it can be difficult to scroll or touch the device. Nobody wants to have sticky, wet or anything else that might be a product of cooking on their device. The idea of having immediate rich feedback like the man who did not know how to cut a pepper is amazing. He was quickly shown how to cut the pepper. The video and collaboration features seem to go hand in hand. People were able to see the same thing in different locations and it was 3D not just a regular video. They all were working on a single house design while at separate locations because of the devices and video capabilities of this technology. The ability to take a 3D scan of something and it show you the 3D replication on the device screen is amazing. This cutting edge technology is blazing a trail to new and improved features within a device.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
Wearable Technology
Huawei Watch
https://www.cnet.com/products/huawei-watch/
There is such a hype for the Apple Watch, Fitbit and Garmin watches/fitness trackers I found the product to be one I have not heard about before. It has such a "normal" watch look to it yet it functions much like competitor products that fit other platforms. This is a product is known as "Android Wear". The most interesting thing I found with these technologies known as "Android Wear" is that they are for Google Smartphones AND they are compatible with iPhone's. The price comes in between the upper $200's to over $600. I really liked that the various color options were very nice and bands were interchangeable so you can customize your look. I have a small wrist and also really like that the face of the watches is just like a standard watch and not so big that it looks "out of place" or double the size of my wrist. It is also a fitness tracker and heart rate monitor. I personally have a Fitbit Charge 2 and have these features for a cheaper price it just isn't "fancy" and looks like a real watch. This watch has a regular expensive watch look with so much more built into it with cutting edge technology.
Oakley Radar Pace Sunglasses
https://www.cnet.com/products/oakley-radar-pace/review/
I found these sunglasses to be very interesting. I may or may not live under a rock between teaching full time, grad school full time and my family so I apologize if these are "old news". These sunglasses have a touch pad on the left side that allows you to change the song you are listening to, adjust the volume and take phone calls. You can even hold down on the touchpad and activate Siri or another voice operated the system such as Alexa that is made by Amazon. There is a USB port on the other side to be able to charge them. They are almost as a "coach" while you are out exercising. It was said that when running if the stride and timing are off it will tell you and make suggestions for you. I found this interesting but at the same time, it seemed it would have been easily accomplished with an app or a wearable watch vs. a pair of sunglasses especially with a price point of $429.00.
https://www.cnet.com/products/huawei-watch/
There is such a hype for the Apple Watch, Fitbit and Garmin watches/fitness trackers I found the product to be one I have not heard about before. It has such a "normal" watch look to it yet it functions much like competitor products that fit other platforms. This is a product is known as "Android Wear". The most interesting thing I found with these technologies known as "Android Wear" is that they are for Google Smartphones AND they are compatible with iPhone's. The price comes in between the upper $200's to over $600. I really liked that the various color options were very nice and bands were interchangeable so you can customize your look. I have a small wrist and also really like that the face of the watches is just like a standard watch and not so big that it looks "out of place" or double the size of my wrist. It is also a fitness tracker and heart rate monitor. I personally have a Fitbit Charge 2 and have these features for a cheaper price it just isn't "fancy" and looks like a real watch. This watch has a regular expensive watch look with so much more built into it with cutting edge technology.
Oakley Radar Pace Sunglasses
https://www.cnet.com/products/oakley-radar-pace/review/
I found these sunglasses to be very interesting. I may or may not live under a rock between teaching full time, grad school full time and my family so I apologize if these are "old news". These sunglasses have a touch pad on the left side that allows you to change the song you are listening to, adjust the volume and take phone calls. You can even hold down on the touchpad and activate Siri or another voice operated the system such as Alexa that is made by Amazon. There is a USB port on the other side to be able to charge them. They are almost as a "coach" while you are out exercising. It was said that when running if the stride and timing are off it will tell you and make suggestions for you. I found this interesting but at the same time, it seemed it would have been easily accomplished with an app or a wearable watch vs. a pair of sunglasses especially with a price point of $429.00.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
VGo
The VGo is a robotic tool that allows a person in a distant location to be a part of something at another location. The VGo is solely remote-controlled. VGo can be shared or dedicated to one single person using web accounts and permissions that you set up. VGo is known for its camera, mic and video display. It is four feet tall and has an accessory that can raise the height to five feet tall. The recommendation is to use indoors only. The cost of the VGo ranges from $6000.00- $7000.00. The downside is it also brings with it a monthly service fee of 100.00.
VGo would be a great addition to any school. The product itself does not seem as though it would require much work to maintain. However, the cost of the product on the front end to purchase could be a potential problem. VGo is a breakthrough for learners who are home- bound for an extended period of time, in the hospital or not able to attend school on a regular basis. It would be a beneficial distance learning tool that would allow the learner to virtually be in the classroom and participate with his or her classmates. The cost is what I can see being a hindrance for most schools. You are spending such a large amount of money and then still be paying monthly service fees for each VGo. It is a never ending bill or fee. I know this would be a major issue in public school but maybe not so much of an issue in private school.
VGo would be a great addition to any school. The product itself does not seem as though it would require much work to maintain. However, the cost of the product on the front end to purchase could be a potential problem. VGo is a breakthrough for learners who are home- bound for an extended period of time, in the hospital or not able to attend school on a regular basis. It would be a beneficial distance learning tool that would allow the learner to virtually be in the classroom and participate with his or her classmates. The cost is what I can see being a hindrance for most schools. You are spending such a large amount of money and then still be paying monthly service fees for each VGo. It is a never ending bill or fee. I know this would be a major issue in public school but maybe not so much of an issue in private school.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Tactus Technology
Tactus Technology
I was unable to get a lot of information about this technology but what I found on my own due to the message below on the provided article was quite interesting.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
The Future of Cell Phone Connectivity
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/530996/future-smartphones-wont-need-cell-towers-to-connect/
I found this article to be a bit confusing and maybe it is because I have not heard of this technology really coming through other than what I refer to as "location services" on my iPhone. This article is from September of 2014 which now in early 2017 smart phones have changed and advanced but not necessarily in this form. The idea of not needing a cell tower to connect to other devices and devices that are up to 500 meters away seems like old technology with the capability to airdrop, cookies on web browsers that guides what ads you receive and the ability to share data between devices.
The article discusses the use of LTE Direct to allow users to connect directly to other devices that are further distances away. It also is advertised to use very little power while searching constantly. I can see many advantages to this and as stated in the article it would be a great way to promote businesses and advertise things that are around you. There were some businesses such as Facebook that were brought into this technology. I felt like it is similar to what we now know as cookies on a web browser and I get ads on Facebook based on product searches I have recently done. This LTE Direct capability was supposed to help free up cell towers by smoothing out glitches due to jammed signal because of the number of users trying to connect all at one time. LTE Direct would offer extended range and performance for users. It also uses the same frequency/ wavelength as traditional cell signals.
I found this article to be a bit confusing and maybe it is because I have not heard of this technology really coming through other than what I refer to as "location services" on my iPhone. This article is from September of 2014 which now in early 2017 smart phones have changed and advanced but not necessarily in this form. The idea of not needing a cell tower to connect to other devices and devices that are up to 500 meters away seems like old technology with the capability to airdrop, cookies on web browsers that guides what ads you receive and the ability to share data between devices.
The article discusses the use of LTE Direct to allow users to connect directly to other devices that are further distances away. It also is advertised to use very little power while searching constantly. I can see many advantages to this and as stated in the article it would be a great way to promote businesses and advertise things that are around you. There were some businesses such as Facebook that were brought into this technology. I felt like it is similar to what we now know as cookies on a web browser and I get ads on Facebook based on product searches I have recently done. This LTE Direct capability was supposed to help free up cell towers by smoothing out glitches due to jammed signal because of the number of users trying to connect all at one time. LTE Direct would offer extended range and performance for users. It also uses the same frequency/ wavelength as traditional cell signals.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Google Glass
Google Glass has been around for a few years now and currently retails for anywhere between $1075.00 and $1499.00. (https://www.amazon.com/Google-Glass-Explorer-BLACK-GRAY/dp/B00I4CLB6I ). They are essentially worn as glasses and works similar to a mobile device. The content is projected onto the glasses for you to see. A neat feature that Google Glasses has that is similar to many products on the market now is that it responds to voice commands.
There are many uses of Google Glass that include but are not limited to having the capability to record up information such as directions or maps. Google Glass will allow you to stay connected to an interactive environment at all times.
The article discussed five different ways that Google Glass could be used in the classroom. They are as follows:
1. Learn new languages- this feature allows real time decoding of languages.
2. Create presentations and research materials- Google Glass gives you the opportunity to take photos and videos.
3. Quick on the go research- Using Google Glass you have a web browser at your fingertips at all times.
4. Build portfolios- The user can capture visual content and interact with others to get feedback from other people.
5. New courses, skills and careers- New apps and tools will be developed and that platform will continue to grow.
The possible future uses of Google Glass is very limited due to its price point. New emerging interactive technologies are being released all the time that do similar things that just may not be wearable. The first ones that come to mind are Amazon's Dot and Echo as well as Siri with Apple. I did a little extra research to try and get a peek at what might be on the horizon and there is limited information available on Google Glass other than they were originally called the "Explorer Program" and it appears that it is now discontinued and the website simply states that "The journey doesn't end here" as if there are more things coming though I have not been able to find much information past this point. (https://www.google.com/glass/start/ ). It seems that Google is pushing more Virtual Reality with Google Cardboard at this time.
There are many uses of Google Glass that include but are not limited to having the capability to record up information such as directions or maps. Google Glass will allow you to stay connected to an interactive environment at all times.
The article discussed five different ways that Google Glass could be used in the classroom. They are as follows:
1. Learn new languages- this feature allows real time decoding of languages.
2. Create presentations and research materials- Google Glass gives you the opportunity to take photos and videos.
3. Quick on the go research- Using Google Glass you have a web browser at your fingertips at all times.
4. Build portfolios- The user can capture visual content and interact with others to get feedback from other people.
5. New courses, skills and careers- New apps and tools will be developed and that platform will continue to grow.
The possible future uses of Google Glass is very limited due to its price point. New emerging interactive technologies are being released all the time that do similar things that just may not be wearable. The first ones that come to mind are Amazon's Dot and Echo as well as Siri with Apple. I did a little extra research to try and get a peek at what might be on the horizon and there is limited information available on Google Glass other than they were originally called the "Explorer Program" and it appears that it is now discontinued and the website simply states that "The journey doesn't end here" as if there are more things coming though I have not been able to find much information past this point. (https://www.google.com/glass/start/ ). It seems that Google is pushing more Virtual Reality with Google Cardboard at this time.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Online Learning Trends to Watch
Personalized learning: the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning environments to meet the needs and aspirations of individual learners.
I chose to explore personalized learning more as I teach at a school that is Project Based Learning. I read the title for this learning trend and immediately thought of project based learning and our 1:1 MacBook initiative. Our learners start with a Driving Question and from there explore various aspects of the project and from their they have choice over their learning and can go in whatever direction they so choose in regards to their "final product".
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/personalized-pbl-student-designed-learning-andrew-miller
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/6-strategies-truly-personalize-pbl-andrew-miller
https://www.bie.org/blog/whats_next_personalized_project_based_learning
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/personalized-pbl-student-designed-learning-andrew-miller
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/6-strategies-truly-personalize-pbl-andrew-miller
https://www.bie.org/blog/whats_next_personalized_project_based_learning
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