EdTech Situation Room Podcast by Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer

EdTechSR Episode 372: AI's Psychological Dangers

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:07:35 GMT

Welcome to episode 372 (”AI’s Psychological Dangers”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 8, 2026, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed the growing psychological risks of AI companion bots and the new documentary The AI Doc, explored open and local AI models including Google’s Gemma 4, dug into Anthropic’s Project Glasswing and its discovery of thousands of zero-day software vulnerabilities, examined quantum computing’s looming threat to encryption, and unpacked the urgent media literacy challenges posed by propaganda memes and war narratives. Jason also shared the Frontier Learning Lab’s Basecamp for AI resource, and both hosts geeked out over sketchnotes-turned-AI-infographics and Microsoft’s AI Playground. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or https://www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Lawyer behind AI psychosis cases warns of mass casualty risks (TechCrunch, 15 March 2026)

* ‘The AI Doc’ Is Probably the Scariest Movie You’ll See All Year (PBS KQED, 25 March 2026) - official trailer

* Basecamp for AI from the Frontier Learning Lab (more info)

* Project Glasswing/Anthropic Mythos

* Google Vids are Free!

* In Japan, the robot isn’t coming for your job; it’s filling the one nobody wants (TechCrunch, 5 April 2026)

* Gemma 4: Byte for byte, the most capable open models (The Keyword; 2 April 2026)

* Run an open model on your iPhone

* Jeff Utecht’s local AI server for schools

* Studies: Quantum Computers Could Hack all Encryption by 2029 (Verity, 2 April 2026)

* Media Education Lab webinar: AI, News and Education (6 April 2026)

* We’re Being Played Through Propaganda, Memes, and War (Psychology Today, 1 April 2026)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week:: Microsoft AI Playground??!

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Sketchnote to AI InfoGraphic - Memes, Warfare, and Propaganda (May 4, 2026)

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* OpenAI robotics leader resigns over concerns about Pentagon AI deal (NPR, 8 March 2026)

* Z.AI Releases 5.1

* Google quietly launched an AI dictation app that works offline (TechCrunch; 7 April 2026)

* OpenAI Releases: “Introducing the Child Safety Blueprint”

* Russia denies Ukrainian intelligence assessment that its hackers have teamed up with Iran’s for cyberattacks (Reuters, 8 April 2026)

* Social media has become a freak show (Nate Silver, 5 April 2026)

* Opposing ICE Might Save the Country. It Could Also Ruin Your Life (Wired, 31 March 2026) - paywall free version

* Apple Took Down These ICE-Tracking Apps. The Developers Aren’t Giving Up (Wired, 8 Oct 2025)

Episode 372 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers! This Substack version (syndicated to other podcasting platforms) was edited using Descript.com to remove “filler words!”

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 371: Router Bans, AI Agents

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:56:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 371 (“Router Bans, AI Agents”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 25, 2026, where technology news met educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed the FCC’s recent ban on foreign-made Wi-Fi routers and its implications for home network security and the IoT. The hosts explored the power of agentic AI through a demo of OpenClaw for automated course creation, Google’s experimental Flash-Light browser, and professional image generation workflows for school branding. Additional topics included insights from Oprah’s AI special, SpaceX’s push for faster Starlink upload speeds, and the evolving legal landscape for social media and AI-generated content. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on YouTube. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, on Mastodon (mastodon.education/@edtechsr) for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* The FCC Just Banned the Sale of New Wi-Fi Router Models Made Outside US (PC Magazine, 24 March 2026)

* The FCC’s Wi-Fi Router Ban Explained: We Answer Your Biggest Questions (PC Magazine, 24 March 2026)

* US government sends ‘Microsoft message’ to companies after hackers brought down one of America’s biggest company for days (Times of India, 20 March 2026)

* [VIDEO] Oprah & Tech Leaders on What AI Means for Your Job, Health, Family & Future (1 hour, 10 min - Oprah YouTube Channel - 25 March 2026) - Key points via Claude

* Jason Demo: Adventures in OpenClaw

* Jason Demo: Gemini Image Generation Lab

* Jason Demo: Google Flash-Light Browser

* SpaceX Prepares to Increase Upload Speeds on Starlink Dishes (PC Magazine, 24 March 2026)

* tailscale.com (“A Zero Trust identity-based connectivity platform...”)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Home Server

* Wes’ Geek of the Week: “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” (Trailer - WikiPedia - IMDB)

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Anthropic’s case against the Pentagon could open space for AI regulation (Al Jazeera, 25 March 2026)

* OpenAI on Surveillance and Autonomous Killings: You’re Going to Have to Trust Us (The Intercept, 8 March 2026)

* RIP Sora: Disney Exits OpenAI Deal After AI Giant Shutters Sora (Hollywood Reporter; 24 March 2026)

* White House releases AI policy blueprint for Congress (Politico; 20 March 2026)

* Codex for university students (ChatGpt)

* Melania Trump hosts world counterparts and tech reps to discuss children, education and technology (Ground News, 24 March 2026)

* Meta to Deploy AI to Police Facebook and Instagram Content (Verity, 20 March 2026)

* Teens Sue xAI Over Grok’s Explicit Deepfakes (Verity, 17 March 2026)

Episode 371 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers! This Substack version (syndicated to other podcasting platforms) was edited using Descript.com to remove “filler words!”

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 370: AI Frontier Geopolitics

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 02:55:13 GMT

Welcome to episode 370 (“AI Frontier Geopolitics”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 4, 2026, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neifer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss the high-stakes clash between the Trump administration and Anthropic over AI safety and military contracts. The conversation explores the shifting landscape of “vibe coding” with Claude, the rise of agentic workflows in Google Workspace, and Apple’s disruptive new hardware lineup featuring the MacBook Neo. From the geopolitics of open-source models like Alibaba’s Qwen to the practicalities of AI-driven media literacy for seniors, the hosts examine how the frontier of artificial intelligence is reshaping both national security and the classroom. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Do the people building the AI chatbot Claude understand what they’ve created? (NPR Fresh Air, 18 Feb 2026)

* Alibaba Releases Qwen Small Models (x)

* Trump orders US agencies to stop using Anthropic technology in clash over AI safety (AP, 27 Feb 2026)

* []VIDEO] Full interview: Anthropic CEO responds to Trump order, Pentagon clash (28 Feb 2026, 28 min)

* A Dire Warning From the Tech World (The Atlantic, 3 March 2026) - archive.ph

* Clawed - On Anthropic and the Department of War (Substack of Dean W Ball, 2 March 2026)

* Say hello to MacBook Neo (Apple PR, 4 March 2026)

* Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with M5 (Apple PR, 3 March 2026)

* Apple Introduces iPhone 17e (Apple PR, 2 March 2026)

* Apple introduces the new iPad Air, powered by M4 (Apple PR, 2 March 2026)

* I just went hands-on with MacBook Neo: It’s game over for cheap Windows laptops (Tom Guide, 4 March 2025)

* duck.ai (AI search from Duck Duck Go)

* arena.ai (comparisons of AI models)

* https://mediaeducationlab.com/events/media-literacy-seniors-0

* https://labs.google/cc

* swappa.com (used iOS devices)

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Normalize Your Video Audio with Auphonic - Fact Checking a Misleading Iran War Meme - Change local DNS for archive.ph access

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: LocallyAI for iOS/iPadOS

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* A Guide to Which AI to Use in the Agentic Era (Ethan Mollick, 17 Feb 2026)

* New tools for understanding AI and learning outcomes (Open AI Blog; 4 March 2026)

* Generate your own Cinematic Video Overviews in NotebookLM (Google; 4 March 2026)

* Does fact-checking work? What the science says (Nature, 10 Jan 2025) - archive.ph version

Episode 370 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers! This Substack version (syndicated to other podcasting platforms) was edited using Descript.com to remove “filler words!”

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 369: Dogpile and Dark Arts

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 03:06:31 GMT

Welcome to episode 369 (“Dogpile and Dark Arts”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 11, 2026, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss the shadowy world of DDoS attacks by archive.today, the manipulation of Wikipedia narratives by bad actors, and the sunsetting of the CIA World Factbook. The conversation shifts to a live demo of Claude CoWork as a local folder-organizing agent, contrasting modern AI "agents" with the "Dogpile" search era of the past. They also explore "Digital Defense Against the Dark Arts" to help students and educators navigate AI-powered scams and misinformation. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or https://www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* When Connection Is Engineered: Understanding The Anatomy Of An AI-Powered Romance Scam (The White Hatter, 10 Feb 2025)

* Pro-Russian Narratives Target Wikipedia, Marking A Dangerous Trend For AI Chatbot Data (United24 Media, 22 Jan 2026)

* Wikipedia Might Blacklist Archive.Today After Site Maintainer DDoSed A Blog (Ars Technica, 10 Feb 2026)

* Archive.today Is Directing A DDOS Attack Against My Blog (Gyrovague, 01 Feb 2026)

* Claude Cowork Available on Windows

* Why Wikimedia Belongs In Education (Wikimedia UK, 06 Feb 2026)

* The CIA World Factbook is dead. Here’s how I came to love it (NPR, 7 Feb 2026)

* Apple News

* Digital Defense Against the Dark Arts (by Wes)

* AI Arena (formerly LM Arena)

* CoWork by Claude

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: OpenWork

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Image prompt with Claude -> Image generate with Gemini - Super Bowl 2026 Ads - Ai Makes Far Side Cartoons

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* AI’s Apocalyptic Jobs Prophecy Is About To Become Reality (The Telegraph, 05 Feb 2026)

* Anthropic Insiders Afraid They’ve Crossed A Line (Futurism, 07 Feb 2026)

* Grok Maker XAI Loses Another Co-Founder (Ars Technica, 11 Feb 2026)

* OpenAI Releases New Deep Research Model

* State Department To Purge Pre-Trump Social Media Posts (NPR, 07 Feb 2026)

* Ghost: Blogs and newsletters on the Fediverse (Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse)

* Google Recovers Deleted Nest Video In High-Profile Abduction Case (Ars Technica, 10 Feb 2026)

* Upgraded Google Safety Tools Can Now Find And Remove More Of Your Personal Info (Ars Technica, 10 Feb 2026)

* Google Makes It Easier To Remove Your Personal Data From Search (Ars Technica, 26 Feb 2025)

Episode 369 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers! This Substack version (syndicated to other podcasting platforms) was edited using Descript.com to remove “filler words!”

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 368: The OpenClaw Warning

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 23:49:34 GMT

Welcome to episode 368 (“The OpenClaw Warning”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 4, 2026, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) dive into the burgeoning world of agentic AI, highlighting the experimental "OpenClaw" tool while issuing a stark warning about the security risks inherent in autonomous AI agents. They also examine the precarious state of local journalism and its vital role in community cohesion. The discussion features a live look at the powerful new integration of Google's NotebookLM into Gemini, showcasing how educators can leverage curated "knowledge oracles" to generate source-grounded instructional materials. Additional topics include the intersection of gaming culture and mainstream media literacy via the Angry Planet podcast and a passionate defense of the humanities and competitive debate as essential skills for the AI era. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* [PODCAST] Online Culture Is the Whole Culture (Angry Planet, 30 Jan 2026)

* “Conspiracies and Culture Wars” Media Literacy Inquiry Project (Wes Fryer)

* Collar cams offer a bear’s eye view into the lives of grizzlies on Alaska’s desolate North Slope (AP, 2 Feb 2026)Local TV and radio at a crossroads (Peter Vogel, The BC Catholic, 28 Jan 2026)

* Podcast393: Reflections on UnPlug’d 2012 with David Truss & Gail Lovely https://www.speedofcreativity.org/2012/08/13/podcast393-reflections-on-unplugd-2012-with-david-truss-gail-lovely/

* ds106 radio

* Powell Tribune (Wyoming)

* Daily Interlake News (Montana, via Peggy George)

* kgez.com (Kalispell, MT - via Peggy George)

* KMAN Radio (Manhattan, Kansas)

* Day of AI (a program developed at MIT RAISE in partnership with the i2 Learning Foundation)

* [VIDEO] Watch: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei From World Economic Forum | WSJ (32 min)

* Hard Fork [PODCAST] Can You Teach Claude to be ‘Good’? | Meet Anthropic Philosopher Amanda Askell (23 Jan 2026)

* Don’t Install OpenClaw. But Keep a Close Eye on It. (Jason @ Field Notes at the FLL; 2 February 2026)

* The buzz over AI agents (NPR Here and Now; 2 February 2026)

* Moltbook is the newest social media platform — but it’s just for AI bots (NPR ATC; 4 February 2026)

* MoltBook.com (AI agent social network)

* Take your notebooks further by adding NotebookLM as a source in the Gemini app (Google Workspace Updates; 27 January 2026)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Meetily (Local AI Meeting Tool)

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week:: 2026 Frost Forward Online Conference Registration - [PODCAST] AI in Education: Jeffrey Riley on AI Literacy, Teachers, and the Future of Learning (The Teacher’s Forum, David Harris, 3 Feb 2026) - Google Account 3rd Party App Authorizations

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Anthropic and Teach For All launch global AI training initiative for educators (Anthropic Blog, 21 Jan 2026)

* Claude for Education

* Gem and NotebookLM Workflow (Miguel Guhlin, 1 Feb 2026)

* Claude is a space to think (Anthropic blog, 4 Feb 2026)

* Customize Cowork with plugins (Claude Blog; 30 January 2026)

* Google’s Gemini app has surpassed 750M monthly active users (TechCrunch; 4 February 2026)

* The new era of browsing: Putting Gemini to work in Chrome (The Keyword from Google)

* Rice University students create ICE tracker as hundreds protest in Houston (The Center Square, 31 Jan 2026)

Episode 368 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers! This Substack version (syndicated to other podcasting platforms) was edited using Descript.com to remove “filler words!”

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 367: Vibe Coding with Claude

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:23:35 GMT

Welcome to episode 367 (“Vibe Coding With Claude”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 21, 2026, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss the transformative power of “vibe coding,” with Wes sharing his experience using Claude Code to build a sophisticated 1,400-line PHP project for personal news automation. Jason demonstrates a powerful new workflow that integrates NotebookLM sources directly into Gemini to create pedagogically-informed instructional texts. The duo also explores Anthropic’s newly released AI Constitution , Google’s rollout of Personal Intelligence for Gmail and Drive , and reflections from the FETC conference on the urgent need for structured AI professional development for educators. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Episode 9: From hidden data to insight: the power of vibecoding (by NotebookLM, Digital Digging by Hank Van Ess, 17 Jan 2026)

* Paywall article: Using AI to find hidden data sources (Digital Digging by Hank Van Ess, 17 Jan 2026)

* Claude Code for writers (Platformer, Casey Newton, 15 Jan 2026)

* Move Over, ChatGPT (Atlantic, 14 Jan 2026)

* Claude’s new constitution (Anthropic, 21 January 2026)

* Gemini introduces Personal Intelligence (14 January 2026)

* mermaid.ai (“Build complex visuals from text and data in seconds”)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Kortex Chrome PLugin

* Wes’ Geek of the Week: news.wesfryer.com

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect (Brookings, 17 Jan 2026)

* Comic-Con Bans AI Art After Artist Pushback (404 Media; 21 January 2026)

* OpenAI says its data centers will pay for their own energy and limit water usage (The Verge; 21 January 2026)

* Google Releases Data Tables for NotebookLM (NotebookLM on Twitter/X, 14 Jan 2026)

* Alaska’s court system built an AI chatbot. It didn’t go smoothly. (NBC News, 3 Jan 2026)

* Amazon’s Ring to partner with Flock, a network of AI cameras used by ICE, feds, and police (TechCrunch, 15 Oct 2025)

* Hacker Dressed As Pink Power Ranger Dismantles Racist Websites Live on Stage (PC Magazine, 6 Jan 2026)

* Iran’s Internet Shutdown Mistake Exposes Threats To U.S. And Israel (Forbes, 17 Jan 2026)

* Grok Is Generating Sexual Content Far More Graphic Than What’s on X (Wired, 7 Jan 2026)

* When an Ad Triggers a Full Account Crisis (Lucy Gray, 20 Jan 2026)

* How Wikipedia Will Survive in the Age of AI (With Wikipedia’s CTO Selena Deckelmann) (404 Media, 20 Jan 2026)

Episode 367 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers!

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 366: 10 Year Anniversary!

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:11:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 366 (“10 Year Anniversary”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 7, 2026, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) celebrate the podcast’s 10th anniversary, reflecting on their journey since their first episode in January 2016. In this episode, they dive into the latest happenings in educational technology, media literacy, and more. Topics include highlights from CES 2026, notable innovations in AI, and discussions on smart home technology. Plus, they explore exciting new integrations from Google and Apple, challenges in intellectual property with AI-generated content, and innovative classroom technology. Tune in for a decade of EdTech insights and future trends! Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or https://www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 Welcome to EdTech Situation Room

00:11 Celebrating 10 Years of EdTech Situation Room

01:01 Meet the Hosts: Jason and Wes

01:38 Kicking Off the New Semester

02:31 Exploring CES 2026 Highlights

03:39 AI Innovations at CES 2026

10:35 Smart Home Technology and Personal Projects

14:37 Deep Dive into CES Trends and AI

28:19 Lego’s Smart Bricks and Future of Coding

29:43 The Pebble Watch Revival

32:21 The Pebble Ring: A New Innovation

33:28 White House January 6th Website

34:50 Media Literacy and AI Fact-Checking

38:07 Google’s Gemini and Apple’s AI Strategy

40:33 AI-Generated Infographics and Copyright Issues

50:24 Geeks of the Week and Final Thoughts

52:27 Automation Tools for Productivity

🔗 Links We Discussed

* CES 2026 New Products: iPolish - Nodi Flip - Bloomin8 E-Ink Canvas

* Video: The Shocking AI Reveals That Stunned CES 2026 (Day 1) (AI Revolution, 7 Jan 2026, 13 min)

* Video: New OpenAI GUMDROP AI Device Turns ChatGPT Physical (AI Revolution, 4 Jan 2026, 11 min)

* Gemini Deep Research CES Update

* LEGO introduces its first ‘smart brick’ which reacts to children’s movements in real time (Daily Mail via MSN; 5 January 2025)

* Pebble seeks to remedy the wearable industry’s original sin (Engadget; 6 January 2026)

* Pebble Is Making a $75 Smart Ring (Wired; 9 December 2025)

* White House publishes website that rewrites history of Jan. 6 attack (Washington Post, 6 Jan 2026)

* White House X post on Jan 6 website

* Whitehouse Jan 6 website: www.whitehouse.gov/j6/

* Gemini SIFT Superprompt chat log

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: n8n

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Media Literacy Roundup - 5 Jan 2026 - Smart Home Tips from Wes - PixStar Digital Picture Frame - StartPage

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Alaska’s court system built an AI chatbot. It didn’t go smoothly. (NBC News, 3 Jan 2026)

* Create with unlimited generations using Google Gemini 3 (Nano Banana Pro) in Adobe Firefly (Adobe Blog, 20 Nov 2025)

* Google’s New Image Tool Looks Too Real. Here’s Why That’s A Problem (The Blueprint Brief; 8 December 2025)

* NanoBanana has an IP Problem: NotebookLM Slides/Infographics

* Teamsters Unveil New Substack Newsletter to Break Through Traditional Media (The Hill, 8 Dec 2025)

* AI and Social Media Literacy Essential for Safe Ecosystem (Bernama, 27 Dec 2025)

* Berlin power outage highlights German vulnerability to sabotage (BBC, 7 Jan 2026)

* You may soon be able to change your Gmail address (TechCrunch, 28 Dec 2025)

* “Yo what?” LimeWire re-emerges in online rush to share pulled “60 Minutes” segment (ArsTechnica, 23 Dec 2025)

* FCC’s import ban on the best new drones starts today (ArsTechnica, 23 Dec 2025)

Episode 366 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers! (Note the landscape version is shorter because ‘filler words’ were removed in post-production using Descript.com.)

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 365: Nano Banana Era

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:59:08 GMT

Welcome to episode 365 (“Nano Banana Pro Era”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 29, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss the rapid evolution of generative AI, beginning with Jason’s recent travel to Japan where tools like NotebookLM and Gemini assisted with navigation and cultural translation. The hosts dive deep into the capabilities of Nano Banana Pro (Google’s latest Gemini model), comparing its superior image generation and iteration controls to OpenAI’s offerings. The conversation also covers the landmark licensing agreement between Disney and OpenAI to bring iconic characters to the Sora video platform, the ethical “dumpster fire” of hyper-realistic deepfakes, and eight bold AI predictions for 2026—including the rise of world models and an “offline renaissance”. Geeks of the Week include Gemini Desk and a new Substack series on AI storytelling. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or https://www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI reach landmark agreement to bring beloved characters from across Disney’s brands to Sora (OpenAI, 11 Dec 2025)

* ChatGPT’s Latest AI Image Generator Is Its Best Yet, But Nano Banana Pro Is Still Better (PC Mag, 28 Dec 2025)

* The Ethics of AI Imagery: Nano Banana and the New Frontier of Digital Reality (Genevieve Smith-Nunes via Substack; 30 August 2025)

* AI in 2026 | 8 Predictions About What’s Coming (Sinead Novell; 18 December 2025)

* Wobbling Jets of 3I/ATLAS Based on New Hubble Telescope Images from December 12 and 27, 2025 (Medium of Avi Loeb, 27 Dec 2025)

* 3I/ATLAS Deep Fake Videos (Blog of Wes Fryer, 8 Dec 2025)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Gemini Desk

* Wes’ Geek of the Week: Stories About AI - December 2025

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Google’s Year in Review: 8 Research Breakthroughs in 2025 (Google Blog, 23 Dec 2025)

* Nano Banana Pro Review: Is Google’s AI Image Generator Too Good? (CNet, 7 Dec 2025)

* Create with unlimited generations using Google Gemini 3 (Nano Banana Pro) in Adobe Firefly (Adobe Blog, 20 Nov 2025)

* Nano Banana is wild in NotebookLM!!!

* Google’s New Image Tool Looks Too Real. Here’s Why That’s A Problem (The Blueprint Brief; 8 December 2025)

* Nano Banana Content Blocked (John Negoita via Medium; 24 September 2025)

* Introducing GPT-5.2: OpenAI Launches ‘Garlic’ Series (OpenAI, 11 Dec 2025)

* How AI coding agents work—and what to remember if you use them (ArsTechnica, 24 Dec 2025)

* Your job is to deliver code you have proven to work (Simon Willison’s Weblog, 18 Dec 2025)

* Measuring the Impact of Early-2025 AI on Experienced Open-Source Developer Productivity (Cornell University, 12 Jul 2025)

* AI and Social Media Literacy Essential for Safe Ecosystem (Bernama, 27 Dec 2025)

* Rainbow Six Siege is under siege by hackers, Ubisoft forced to take all servers offline — players randomly received billions of credits, ultra-exclusive skins, and bans or unbans (Tom’s Hardware, 27 Dec 2025)

* You may soon be able to change your Gmail address (TechCrunch, 28 Dec 2025)

* “Yo what?” LimeWire re-emerges in online rush to share pulled “60 Minutes” segment (ArsTechnica, 23 Dec 2025)

* FCC’s import ban on the best new drones starts today (ArsTechnica, 23 Dec 2025)

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Episode 365 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers!

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Episode 364: The Rise of Gemini AI

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 03:07:52 GMT

Welcome to episode 364 (“The Rise of Gemini AI”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 3, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss the “rise of Gemini” following the release of Google’s Gemini 3.0 and reports of OpenAI declaring a “Code Red.” The hosts debate Australia’s move to enforce a social media age limit of 16 and the potential banning of VPNs. Conversation also turns to academic integrity, featuring a breakdown of The Simpsons’ take on AI cheating, the risks of adversarial detection, and the changing nature of software engineering with “vibe coding.” Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Google Gemini 3: A New Era of Intelligence (Google Blog, 18 Nov 2025)

* OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Declares “Code Red” As Gemini Gains 200 Million Users In 3 Months (Ars Technica, 02 Dec 2025)

* Marc Benioff’s response to Gemini 3

* Black Students Are More Likely to Be Falsely Accused of Using AI to Cheat (Education Week, 18 Sep 2024)

* AI may be scoring your college essay. Welcome to the new era of admissions (AP, 2 Dec 2025)

* Our Response to AI Cannot be Adversarial (Marc Watkins Substack, 1 Dec 2025)

* I Set A Trap To Catch My Students Cheating With AI. The Results Were Shocking. (Huffpost, 29 Nov 2025)

* “The Simpsons” season 37 episode tackles AI cheating and Chalmers’ slime craze (The Express Tribune, 7 Oct 2025)

* VIDEO: Bart Gets Caught Using CheatGPT On His Homework | The Simpsons

* Simpson’s Fandom Wiki: Keep Chalm and Gary On

* Anthropic Studied Its Own Engineers to Assess How AI is Changing Work (Times of India / Anthropic, 3 Dec 2025)

* Republicans drop Trump-ordered block on state AI laws from defense bill (ArsTechnica, 3 Dec 2025)

* Australia to enforce social media age limit of 16 with fines up to $33 million (AP News, 3 Dec 2025)

* Lawmakers Want to Ban VPNs—And They Have No Idea What They’re Doing (EFF; 13 November 2025)

* How institutions worldwide used Google for Education tools in 2025 (Google Blog, 3 Dec 2025)

* AI Literacy from Google

* Commodore 64 Available Again

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: GooseAI - https://antigravity.google/

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Gemini AI GEM replacements for my CustomGPTs: Social Media Post Formatter - Design - Create - Share Lesson Builder and Podcast: “Michael Burry Speaks” - Holiday Tech Gadget Wish Lists

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Anthropic Accidentally Gives the World a Peek Into Its Model’s Soul (Gizmodo, 01 Dec 2025)

* Why Academics (and Educators) Are Leaving Twitter for Bluesky (Impact of Social Sciences, May 2025)

* ICE Wants to Go After Dissenters as well as Immigrants (Brennan Center for Justice, 21 Nov 2025)

* “Digital Citizenship in the Surveillance State” from 2016

* Solar’s Growth in US Almost Enough to Offset Rising Energy Use (Ars Technica, 26 Nov 2025)

Episode 364 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers!

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 363: AI Upgrades, Privacy Tradeoffs

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 19:50:22 GMT

Welcome to episode 363 (“AI Upgrades, Privacy Tradeoffs”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 12, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpack OpenAI’s pushback against a court order that would expose 20 million user chats in the New York Times lawsuit, and what that means for “private” AI conversations in schools and beyond. They explore GPT-5.1’s new “personalities,” emerging competitors like DeepSeek and Mistral, and the complex tradeoffs between powerful new models, copyright, and training data ethics. The conversation turns to Google’s latest moves with Gemini agents, AI “Workspace flows,” NotebookLM for Students, and Canva’s expanding AI features, all framed as tools that can act as thought partners rather than shortcuts for learners. Wes and Jason also dig into media literacy practices like hyperlinked student writing, keeping AI chat logs for transparency, and reclaiming news feeds with trusted voices instead of doomscrolling social media. Rounding things out, they touch on FBI efforts to unmask the operator of Archive.today, a CRISPR-powered attempt to revive an ancient gene to treat gout, and their Geeks of the Week: rolling your own AI-powered email with Thunderbird/ThunderAI and experimenting with StreamYard’s new multi-aspect-ratio streaming setup, plus a webinar on AI superprompts and “The Anxious Generation.” Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or https://www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* OpenAI Fights Order To Hand Over 20 Million Private ChatGPT Conversations (Ars Technica, 12 Nov 2025)

* Can I Upload That? AI, Copyright, and Our Classrooms (TCEA, Miguel Guhlin, 3 Nov 2025)

* Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI

* OpenAI Walks a Tricky Tightrope With GPT-5.1’s Eight New Personalities (Ars Technica, 12 Nov 2025)

* https://aiinside.show/

* Google’s New AI Studio Vibe Coding Push: Create Full-Stack Apps in a Weekend (Geeky Gadgets, 7 Nov 2025)

* NotebookLM for Students

* YouTube’s AI Power-Up: How We Got Even More Helpful This Year (YouTube Blog, 12 Dec 2024)

* AI and Learning: A New Chapter for Students and Educators (Google Blog, 6 Nov 2023)

* Guided Learning in Gemini: From Answers to Understanding (Google Blog, 6 Aug 2025)

* Google Gemini’s New AI Agent Upgrade is INSANE! (Automate Tasks Across Google) (YouTube)

* A New Chinese AI Model Claims To Outperform GPT-5 and Sonnet 4.5 – and It’s Free (ZDNet, 7 Nov 2025)

* https://www.deepseek.com/ (don’t use the Deep Seek App…)

* https://chat.z.ai/

* https://www.quinengine.com/

* https://www.kimi.com/en/

* https://lmarena.ai/

* From France, $60 per year for educators: https://chat.mistral.ai/chat

* Canva Keynote 2025: The Imagination Era (1.5 hours)

* The FBI Is Trying to Unmask the Registrar Behind Archive.Today (Gizmodo, 7 Nov 2025)

* Scientists Revive an Ancient Human Gene That Could Help Cure Gout (SciTechDaily, 9 Nov 2025)

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Streamyard MARS (Multi-aspect-ratio Streaming) - I Want You to Understand Chicago - Reclaiming Our News Feeds - 17 Nov Webinar: AI Superprompts and “The Anxious Generation”

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Roll Your Own AI Email with Thunderbolt and ThunderAI

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Inside the Data Centers That Train A.I. and Drain the Electrical Grid (The New Yorker, 27 Oct 2025)

* Yes, LLMs Can Be Better at Search (Mike Caulfield Substack, 10 May 2025)

* Sam Altman Served With Subpoena While Onstage at AI Safety Forum

* Apple and WhatsApp Targeted With Spyware by Israeli Firm Paragon (The Guardian, 10 Nov 2025)

* The Last Days of Social Media (Noema, 2 Sep 2025)

* The Panic Over Smartphones Doesn’t Help Teens (The Atlantic, 21 May 2024)

* IKEA Just Announced 21 Smart Home Gadgets — Here’s the Ones I’m Buying (Tom’s Guide, 7 Nov 2025)

Episode 363 is also available on YouTube in two formats: Portrait mode optimized for mobile phones, and Landscape mode optimized for laptop / desktop computers!

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 362: Browsers Gone Agentic

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 23:46:37 GMT

Welcome to episode 362 (“Browsers Gone Agentic”) of the EdTech Situation Room from Wednesday, October 29, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpack the fast-moving world of agentic AI browsers—Atlas, Comet, and an open-source “BrowserOS”—including why they’re built atop Chromium, where they currently feel clunky in real workflows, and how prompt-injection and data-exfiltration risks translate to concrete school safeguards (sandboxing/air-gapping, limiting LMS credentials, and policy updates). We review TechCrunch’s warning on “glaring” browser-agent risks, Perplexity’s Comet prompt-injection mitigations, and real-world demos that show why an agent could plausibly log into an LMS and complete assignments—raising new academic-integrity and supervision questions for districts. Beyond the browser, we explore creator-tool shifts—Adobe + Google AI model integrations, YouTube Shorts/Studio nudges, and Meta’s AI editing tools in Instagram Stories—and how educators can balance creative possibilities with a rising tide of AI “slop.” We also dig into media-literacy lessons from “Grokipedia” vs. Wikipedia: edit histories, transparency, bias, and why source-checking remains a must-teach habit. Rounding out the hour, the duo spotlights a readable primer on quantum computing’s looming “Q-Day” encryption risk—and why starting the transition to quantum-safe practices belongs on IT roadmaps now. Wes also shares how our new Substack-first post-production workflow (YouTube → Substack with full link lists) is keeping the back catalog current and easier to find.

Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com and auto-archived to YouTube. We are now publishing from Substack too! Subscribe to us with your favorite podcast listening app, or directly on or https://www.youtube.com/@edtechSR. Follow our EdTechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Adobe and Google team up to offer more AI models and YouTube integration (TechRadar; 29 October 2025)

* Elon Musk launches Grokipedia — an encyclopedia where AI gets the last word (Cointelegraph; 28 October 2025)

* The glaring security risks with AI browser agents (TechCrunch; 25 October 2025)

* Reference to Oct 22 Windows Weekly from TWiT

* Mitigating Prompt Injection in Comet (Perplexity Blog; 22 October 2025)

* What is Education Pro for Perplexity?

* BrowserOS

* Instagram users can now use Meta AI editing tools directly in IG Stories. (TechCrunch, 23 Oct 2025)

* CustomGPT for EdTechSR podcast post-production

* Chat transcript example: https://chatgpt.com/share/6902be89-2950-800e-aabf-cea6567ca611

* Custom GPT: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68fd20ce2f1c8191ac7f3fb207ca6487-edtechsr-podcast-post-production-oct-2025

* Quantum Computing Is Coming for Your Digital Secrets (The Walrus, 2 Oct 2025)

* Elon Musk Launches Grokipedia, an AI‑Powered Wikipedia Rival (The Washington Post, 27 Oct 2025) - paywall free

* grokipedia.com

* Turing Test (WikiPedia)

* HBO Silicon Valley

* Wes’ Geek of the WEek: My Pinboard

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Software Treats: Gemini Desk and Ollama + Thunderbird + ThunderAI

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Anthropic Reaches Settlement With Authors Guild Over AI Copyright Dispute (Authors Guild, 21 October 2025)

* What Past Education Technology Failures Can Teach Us About the Future of AI in Schools (The Conversation, 18 October 2025)

* Senators announce bill that would ban AI chatbot companions for minors (NBC News; 28 October 2025)

* Open AI Non/For Profit

* Built to benefit everyone (OpenAI News; 28 October 2025)

* The next chapter of the Microsoft–OpenAI partnership (OpenAI News; 28 October 2025)

* Projects Sharing Available to All

* The Majority View of AI (Anil Dash; 17 October 2025)

* Why Open Source May Not Survive the Rise of Generative AI (ZDNET, 28 Oct 2025)

* Homework Faces an Existential Crisis — Has AI Made It Pointless? (L.A.Times, 25 Oct 2025)

* The Homework Apocalypse (Ethan Mollick; 1 July 2023)

Episode 362 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 361: AI Workflows for Educators

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:26:31 GMT

Welcome to episode 361 (“AI Workflows for Educators”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 22, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) kick off with the surge of AI-first browsers—OpenAI’s Atlas, Perplexity’s Comet, and DIA—what an “agentic” web experience looks like (multi-tab summaries, draft-my-email helpers, even automated shopping), and why the launch details matter (Mac-only at first and Chromium-based). We examine the trade-offs for schools—tracking, data monetization, and prompt-injection risks that could expose logged-in accounts—and why IT directors are wary of mixing these new browsers with corporate or school Google accounts. From there, Jason demos a highly practical admin workflow: loading student, parent, and teacher handbooks into NotebookLM to compare policies, highlight inconsistencies, and spot places where one handbook goes deeper than another—a real-world time saver for leaders. We share classroom-ready prompting patterns (like “explain it for a sixth grader”) and lean on Mike Caulfield’s SIFT-style verification when sense-checking AI outputs; we also note the many avenues to a free year of Perplexity Pro (EDU address, PayPal promos). In the news roundup: AI-aided earthquake detection; a cautionary tale on sycophancy and bias in medicine; the long tail of the AWS outage (including unhappy smart beds); lingering fallout from the Jaguar Land Rover attack; plus lighter items from “AI toilet” to “Napster’s back.” We close with Geeks of the Week: running private, local AI with Ollama and the Native Mind Chrome plugin for on-device summaries and email assists, and iRig Pre 2 for piping XLR mics into an iPhone—a setup Wes used for a thousand-view livestream.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* ‘Like Putting on Glasses for the First Time’: How AI Improves Earthquake Detection (Ars Technica, 10 October 2025)

* When Sycophancy and Bias Meet Medicine (Ars Technica, 22 October 2025) - AI summary for a 6th grader

* ChatGPT Atlas

* AI Toilet, anyone?

* Napster’s Back!

* Jaguar Land Rover Struggling 8 Weeks After Most Expensive UK Cyberattack (Ars Technica, 22 October 2025)

* Smart Beds Leave Sleepers Hot and Bothered During AWS Outage (Ars Technica, 22 October 2025)

* The AWS Cloud Outage Has a Long Tail (Wired, 21 October 2025) - paywall free version

* Mentioned in the show:

* www.perplexity.ai/comet

* www.diabrowser.com

* Stupid Prompting Tricks (Frontier Learning Lab)

* home.truemark.ai

* SIFT Toolbox for AI

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Ollama / Native Mind

* Wes’ Geek of the Week: iRig Pre 2

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* 7 Prompts I Use for Every AI Chatbot — and They Work for Just About Everything (Tom’s Guide, 20 October 2025)

* Anthropic Reaches Settlement With Authors Guild Over AI Copyright Dispute (Authors Guild, 21 October 2025)

* What Past Education Technology Failures Can Teach Us About the Future of AI in Schools (The Conversation, 18 October 2025)

* WordPress Sites Hacked With Sneaky Malware Spread via Blockchain (Mashable, 21 October 2025)

* Google Claims to Have Quantum Advantage With a Potentially Useful Algorithm (Ars Technica, 22 October 2025)

Episode 361 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 360: Agentic AI Arrives

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:04:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 360 (“Agentic AI Arrives”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 8, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) dive into OpenAI’s newly announced agent platform and what “agentic” workflows could mean for classrooms and district offices—from ChatGPT orchestrating apps like Canva and Figma to recreate and edit an org chart on the fly, to MCP-style integrations that let LLMs read and write across Google Docs and other services. They connect the dots to practical automation teachers can use today (think: N8N/Make-style flows moving into mainstream AI tools), and discuss why this matters for instructional design and school operations.

The hosts then pivot to AI search literacy in light of Google’s evolving AI Overviews and headline-grabbing limitations (e.g., the “Trump”/“dementia” query story), arguing for explicit classroom instruction on how to interrogate AI answers and source them, not just accept them. They also unpack the “AI bubble?” conversation—sky-high capex, energy/water constraints, and the sustainability of business models—as highlighted by the Deutsche Bank warning and the data center buildout arms race.

From there, it’s digital resilience: a recent multi-state 911 outage traced to fiber cuts becomes a teachable moment about infrastructure dependencies and continuity planning for schools. Along the way, Wes shares a media-diet project—“Reclaiming Our News Feeds”—plus a DIY “federated reader” built with AI-assisted vibe coding that funnels newsletters into a Mastodon channel for Flipboard reading.

Concrete classroom takeaways abound: Jason’s recent vibe-coded Chrome extension, real SIS database-query bots improving efficiency, and why NotebookLM shines when paired with open textbooks and teacher-created materials. The Geeks of the Week include Wes’s trio—Spooky Scratch Stories, ORCID, and Vibe Coding with AI—and Jason’s PSA that educators with .edu emails can snag a year of Perplexity Pro (with notes on privacy tradeoffs), plus thoughts on Gemini for schools and the LM Arena model rankings.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Deutsche Bank Issues Grim Warning for AI Industry (Futurism, 24 Sep 2025)

* Introducing AgentKit (OpenAI, 8 Oct 2025)

* Google is blocking AI searches for Trump and dementia (The Verge, 30 Sept 2025)

* Reclaiming Our News Feeds (Heal Our Culture on SubStack by Wes Fryer, 29 Sep 2025)

* AT&T attributes mass 911 outages in 3 states to fiber cuts made by ‘third parties’ (AP News, 26 Sept 2025)

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Spooky Scratch Stories - ORCID - Vibe Coding with AI

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Perplexity free for students

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* 6-month-old, solo-owned vibe coder Base44 sells to Wix for $80M cash (TechCrunch, 18 June 2025)

* Dave Winer on Decentralisation, WordPress and Open Publishing (WP Tavern, 24 Sep 2025)

Episode 360 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 359: Phishing Meets Copilot

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 01:29:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 359 (“Phishing Meets Copilot”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 24, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpack how AI is reshaping both the attack surface and the classroom: we start with MIT Tech Review’s claim that 80% of ransomware now uses AI, then swap real-world spear-phishing stories and practical school-IT hygiene—like rethinking public staff email directories to reduce pattern-based credential attacks and mass phishing. From there we zoom out to information warfare and media literacy via PRX’s “GoLaxy Papers,” a report on targeted AI personas trained on individuals to covertly influence U.S. audiences—prompting a broader conversation about nation-state psy-ops and what educators can do to help students (and themselves) discern manipulation at scale. We also discuss the shift to short-form video: TikTok’s pull on teen news habits, YouTube’s push to Shorts, weak sponsor-disclosure norms among creators, and why this all raises the stakes for day-to-day media-literacy instruction.

On the tools front, Microsoft’s strategic partnership with Anthropic brings Claude Sonnet 4 and Opus 4.1 into Copilot—expanding multi-model options for educators and admins—and we map concrete “first-week” workflows inside Office apps. We tie that to “vibe coding” (prompt-based programming) as a teachable practice: Wes shares a personal project (an AI-assisted AppleScript/JS “federated reader” that curates newsletters and posts to Mastodon) and floats the idea of a high-school vibe-coding elective. We balance the security talk with a hopeful AI-in-healthcare segment—Nature-reported work (via ScienceAlert) on a model trained on UK Biobank data that forecasts 1,000+ diseases years in advance, and what “predict-then-prevent” might mean for future wellness curricula. Finally, Jason gives early impressions of Apple’s new iPhones (hello, 17 Pro Max) alongside pragmatic upgrade advice for families on carrier plans.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Google Gemini for Students

* Claude on Copilot

* Scientists Train AI to Forecast Over 1,000 Diseases, Years in Advance (Science Alert; 19 September 2025)

* 80% of ransomware attacks now use artificial intelligence (MIT Technology Review, 8 Sept 2025)

* The GoLaxy Papers: Inside China’s AI persona army (PRX Podcast, 19 Sept 2025)

* Vibe Coding: How Prompt-Based AI Is Transforming Software Development (Forbes, 23 Sept 2025)

* By some measures, TikTok has grown bigger than Facebook or Instagram in the US (Sherwood News, 17 Sept 2025)

* The Firing of Educators Over Kirk Comments Follows a Familiar Playbook (NY Times, 22 Sept 2025)

* OMGGGGG NEEWWWW IPhoneeeee!

* nanobanana.ai

* obsidian.md

* An Introduction to MCP and Authorization

* www.descript.com

* code.visualstudio.com

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: nativemind.app

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: January 2026 Thrive Conference - Kahoot Quiz from YouTube Video via OpenMCQ

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Mixtral for Students/Educators

* Audible’s new AI “Ask a Question” feature lets you interrupt Jane Austen (TechRader; 19 September 2025)

* DeepMind AI safety report explores the perils of “misaligned” AI (ArsTechnica, 22 Sept 2025)

* Police make 30 arrests a day for offensive online messages (Times of London, 4 April 2025)

* “China Keeps the Algorithm”: Critics Attack Trump’s TikTok Deal (Ars Technica, 17 Sep 2025)

* China Blocks Sale of Nvidia AI Chips (Ars Technica, 17 Sep 2025)

* Security Analysts Flag Rise in Russian-Created Misinformation Posts (ABC News, 23 September 2025)

* UN aviation gathering opens under shadow of cyberattacks, geopolitical tensions (Reuters, 23 Sept 2025)

Episode 359 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 358: Gemini AI Everywhere

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 01:09:38 GMT

Welcome to episode 358 (“Gemini AI Everywhere”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 3, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpack Google’s sweeping shift from Assistant to Gemini—from phones and smart speakers to the classroom—and what those defaults mean for teachers, students, and families. We discuss how AI is changing the competitive landscape (and even how policymakers are thinking about antitrust in a world of fast-moving AI features and “set-by-default” experiences), plus the practicalities of turning on Gemini in school domains and coaching staff on safe, effective use. The guys trade stories about AI’s real-world hiccups (hello, drive-thru fails), the uneven impact on jobs (including translators), and the privacy lines around smart-home ecosystems (Google Home vs. Home Assistant, Zigbee/Z-Wave, and local control). On the developer side, we explore new AI coding copilots like Google’s “Jules” and popular editor integrations (e.g., Cursor/VS Code), along with hands-on image-generation progress (“Nano Banana” and friends) and why prompt-injection and AI safety habits matter more than ever. We wrap with quick looks at model comparison tools (LM Arena), tips for school leaders enabling Gemini, and our Geeks of the Week.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Gemini Is Replacing Google Assistant on Google Home Devices from October 1 — Here’s What We Know (Tom’s Guide, 3 September 2025)

* AI Killed My Job: Translators (Blood in the Machine, 21 Aug 2025)

* Someone Ordered 18,000 Cups of Water at an AI Drive-Thru — Now Fast Food Chains Are Reconsidering (ZDNet, 3 September 2025)

* Google Unveils Jules, Its Autonomous Coding Agent (Geeky Gadgets, 2 September 2025)

* How AI Upended a Historic Antitrust Case Against Google (Tech Policy Press, 3 Sept 2025)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: lmarena.ai

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: DIY Home Assistant IoT Setup (video) - Wes’ Flipboard magazine iReading - Federated Reader

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* NASA and Google Test AI Medical Assistant for Astronaut Missions to the Moon and Mars (Space.com, 3 September 2025)

* Chatbots Are Susceptible to Flattery and Peer Pressure (The Verge, 3 September 2025)

* AI Inside Podcast

* Tech Policy Press

* Video: “I got a private lesson on Google’s NEW Nano Banana AI Model”

* Google AI Studio

* Prompt Injection

* Model Context Protocol: Introduction

Episode 358 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 357: AI Tinkering Playbook

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 23:50:11 GMT

Welcome to episode 357 (“AI Tinkering Playbook”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 27, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) lean into the tinkerer’s mindset—treating AI as a thinking partner you iterate with, not a magic box—while swapping classroom-ready examples and PD patterns. They open with hands-on strategies for NotebookLM as a quasi custom-bot for staff handbooks and new-teacher docs, showing how a short “read this first” instruction turns NotebookLM into a practical helpdesk for policy Q&A. Then it’s a tour of PD formats that work: an advanced, build-something-together session (“Build-a-Bot”) where teachers leave with a functioning helper tailored to their workflow, and a foundations session (“Prompting is Teaching”) that frames promptcraft through how teachers already model, iterate, and improve student work. On the creative side, the hosts compare Nano Banana image edits (Wes’s Tetons photo… now featuring Ronald & Grimace!) with Qwen’s new image modifier, plus Freepik’s growing AI toolkit—concrete examples of “try it, test it, share it” tinkering educators can adopt tomorrow. Headlines include Meta + Midjourney model news, an Apple iPhone event preview, and a trio of security stories: an AI-assisted worm in the wild, Anthropic disrupting automated disinfo/attacks, and research on tricking AI browsers—reminders to keep beating the drum for password managers and unique passphrases. Geeks of the Week: Play with international AI models (Mistral, ZAI, DeepSeek, Qwen, Reka, Kimi) to broaden your toolkit, and Home Assistant Green for a private, resilient smart-home lab teachers can learn from and automate around.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* NotebookLM (Google’s AI notebook tool)

* Mike Caulfield “SIFT” fact-checking prompt

* OpenMCQ (Montana Digital Academy)

* Nano Banana : A Free AI Image Editor That Could Be Photoshop’s Biggest Rival (Geeky Gadgets, 22 Aug 2025) - Nano Banana - example

* www.freepik.com

* chat.qwen.ai (image modifier)

* Digital Learningpalooza https://www.deelac.com/digital-learningpalooza/

* Matt Wolfe on YouTube about AI: https://www.youtube.com/@mreflow

* Someone Created the First AI-Powered Worm That Can Spread Automatically (The Hacker News, 26 August 2025)

* Anthropic Disrupts AI-Powered Disinformation Campaign Targeting Global Elections (The Hacker News, 27 August 2025)

* Frontier Learning Lab Substack: frontierlearninglab.substack.com

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Play with International AI

* mistral.ai/

* chat.z.ai/

* chat.deepseek.com/sign_in

* chat.qwen.ai/

* app.reka.ai/chat

* www.kimi.com/

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week:

* Home Assistant Green

* 7 Laws of Good Web Design: www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/54749294891

* Google Site Milestone 1: www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/54749513344

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Meta partners with Midjourney on AI image and video models (TechCrunch, 22 Aug 2025)

* schoolai.com

* www.playlab.ai

* “Build a Bot Workshop” (intermediate) and “Prompting is Teaching” (basic)

* Deciphering Apple’s Awe-Dropping iPhone 17 Event Invite (CNET, 26 August 2025)

* Experts Find AI Browsers Can Be Tricked Into Performing Dangerous Actions (The Hacker News, 20 August 2025)

* This Famous Star Is a Total Fraud, Astronomers Say (Gizmodo, 19 Aug 2025)

* Sabrina Romanov on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sabrina_ramonov

Episode 357 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 356: Beyond AI Hype

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 22:27:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 356 (“Beyond AI Hype”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 20, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) kick off with a few live-stream hiccups and then dive straight into back-to-school realities: district and state momentum around student cell-phone restrictions, why policies alone aren’t enough, and how schools can pair limits with media-literacy and tech-ethics instruction that actually sticks. From there, the conversation turns to Montana Digital Academy’s new Frontier Learning Lab—what it is, why it exists, and how “AI playdates” are helping educators move beyond four unhelpful AI narratives (cheating machine, rots your brain, superpowers, saves time) toward balanced classroom use. Jason shares hands-on experiments with the Model Context Protocol (MCP)—including an Obsidian-based assistant (“Astro”) that reads and writes to notes, drafts emails, and even manipulates Google Docs—illustrating both the promise and brittleness of bleeding-edge workflows educators may soon adopt. Alongside AI productivity talk, Wes and Jason spotlight ethical use and accessibility wins (e.g., better alt text and WCAG-aligned habits) and share practical classroom moments—like using ChatGPT to synthesize student survey responses—while stressing that professional judgment and literacy matter more than hype. They also highlight concrete educator tools such as Montana Digital Academy’s OPEN MCQ and swap “Geeks of the Week,” from MCP resources in Obsidian to media-literacy gems like Digital Digging and Mike Caulfield’s classic Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers, plus Wes’ Pinboard flow for sharing recommendations. Throughout, they argue for thoughtful professional learning and a steady, human-centered approach to AI—one that acknowledges both the risks and the transformative possibilities in classrooms today.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* 4 Predominant Narratives with AI (that are not helpful)

* AI is a cheating machine

* AI rots your brain

* AI creates superpowers for you

* AI will save you time

* Wes’ recent posts on AI

* 2025 Civics of Technology Conference (homepage)

* Civics of Tech Conference Day 1 Reflections

* Is Any AI Use Ethical?

* AI clear use cases

* ALT text - W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0

* She Knows ALT Text (Custom GPT)

* Troubleshooting tech issues (WordPress, Linux VPS, other geek squad stuff)

* Recipe and cooking instructions

* OPEN MCQ from Montana Digital Academy: https://wfryer.me/openmcq

* Missouri Districts Begin New School Year with State‑Mandated Cell‑Phone Ban (Missouri Independent, 20 Aug 2025)

* Back to School: Iowa Students Will Return to Class With Cell Phone Restrictions (KCCI, 18 Aug 2025)

* New State Laws Bring Major Changes for Texas Schools (Texas Tribune, 18 Aug 2025)

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Get started with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) - Obsidian

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers by Mike Caufield - Podcast: Digital Digging - The Shitification of Google - Wes’ social bookmarks (Pinboard) for #edtechSR

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* OpenAI Is Reportedly Building a Social Network to Compete With X (The Verge, 20 August 2025)

* BlueSky Updated Terms and Policies (Bluesky, 14 August 2025)

Episode 356 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 355: Protocols Over Platforms

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 21:39:10 GMT

Welcome to episode 355 (“Protocols Over Platforms”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 9, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpack their ISTE 2025 takeaways: Google’s evolving Gemini-in-Classroom roadmap, fresh AI literacy resources for teachers, and where Microsoft and Apple currently fit in the EDU stack. They dig into the rise of AI-first browsers—from agentic research helpers to privacy-focused designs—and debate what these tools mean for student data stewardship, plagiarism concerns, and authentic assessment. Building on Mike Masnick’s “Protocols, Not Platforms,” they explore how the fediverse (Mastodon, Bluesky, and open social protocols) could model healthier digital citizenship and media literacy, especially for schools looking to reduce platform lock-in. The hosts also share practical classroom workflows—NotebookLM for pre-writing and lesson prep, voice-driven chat assistants for feedback, and “AI as a thought partner” techniques to plan presentations, critique drafts, and scaffold student reflection. Rounding things out, they compare personal knowledge management and productivity picks like Obsidian and Raycast, tying these to real educator use cases and “agentic” routines that help teachers work faster, document learning better, and protect privacy by design.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Perplexity launches “Comet” AI web browser to take on Chrome and Edge — and you can use it today for $200 a month (Windows Central; 9 July 2025)

* Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech (Techdirt, 28 Aug 2019)

* [PODCAST] Reclaiming The Internet with Mike Masnick and Aaron Ross (Techdirt Podcast, 8 Jul 2025)

* Gemini in Classroom: No-cost AI tools that amplify teaching and learning (Google Blog)

* Will Google’s New AI END MagicSchool? | Gemini vs. MagicSchool AI in 2025 (EdTech Hustle)

* ISTE 2025 Collection: New Chromebooks and Tools for Even Better Teaching and Learning (Google Blog, 2 July 2025)

* What’s New in Microsoft EDU, ISTE Edition June 2025 (Microsoft Education Blog; 25 June 2025)

* Apple Skips ISTE (Apple Community Forums)

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: obsidian.md | www.raycast.com

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Privacy, Power and Platforms - Vibe Coding for Flickr CC 4.0 Attribution - DIA browser

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* AI Is Helping Cheaters Cheat at Chess. This Group Is Trying to Stop It (Time, 09 July 2025)

* Racist AI Videos Created With Google Veo 3 Are Proliferating on TikTok (Ars Technica, 1 July 2025)

* This Year’s Hot New Tool for Chefs? ChatGPT. (NYT; 2 June 2025 - Gift Link)

* Hardfork Interview with Pete Wells

* Mark Zuckerberg Already Knows Your Life. Now He Wants His AI to Run It (Gizmodo, 30 June 2025)

* Inside ‘AI Addiction’ Support Groups, Where People Try to Stop Talking to Chatbots (404 Media, 26 Jun 2025)

* Control Content Use for AI Training With Cloudflare’s Managed Robots.txt and Blocking for Monetized Content (Cloudflare Blog, 01 July 2025)

* Multiple AI Companies Bypassing Web Standard to Scrape Publisher Sites Without Licensing (Reuters, 21 June 2024)

* Creative Commons debuts CC signals, a framework for an open AI ecosystem (Tech Crunch; 25 June 2025)

* The Most Imminent Cyber Threat Is Called ‘Scattered Spider’ (Wired, 02 July 2025)

* Feds Warn of Possible Cyber Attacks By Iran on US Critical Infrastructure (Ars Technica, 30 June 2025)

Episode 355 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 354: Beyond the Town Square

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:35:35 GMT

Welcome to episode 354 (“Beyond the Town Square”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 25, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) open with a quick check-in and the episode lineup, then dive into Creative Commons in the classroom via Flickr’s move to CC 4.0—and why explicit instruction on copyright, fair use, and open licensing belongs in digital literacy for every student . From there, they unpack free-speech narratives on U.S. campuses through a media-literacy lens—highlighting News Over Noise’s interview with Bradford Vivian and reflecting on universities as places for genuine intellectual diversity and debate . The conversation pivots to AI and assessment: what a recent MIT study using EEG really suggests about “brain-only” writing versus hybrid, tool-supported workflows (spoiler: copy-paste LLM use shows low cognitive engagement, but a structured fourth session with LLMs boosted recall and distributed cognitive effort) and how this translates into practical classroom policy, including the growing role of lockdown browsers for in-class quizzes . They also examine the civil-liberties side of edtech—biometrics, surveillance, and border device searches—through a sobering case study of a journalist’s deportation linked to online writing, and what that means for educators and travelers managing their digital footprint . To wrap up, Geeks of the Week spotlight a handy local-AI platform for Mac/Apple-silicon and API users (Witsy) and a dead-simple booklet-printing utility (BookletCreator) that Wes’ classroom is already putting to work.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task (MIT; 10 June 2025)

* Ethan Mollick on LinkedIn

* Reports of Bluesky’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated (MATHEW INGRAM, 18 Jun 2025)

* Facebook Group Admins Complain of Mass Bans, Meta Says It’s Fixing the Problem (TechCrunch, 24 June 2025)

* AI is ruining Pinterest. Here’s why it’s such a big problem (ZDnet, 11 March 2025)

* The High Stakes of Biometric Surveillance (Tech Policy Press, 24 June 2025)

* How My Reporting on the Columbia Protests Led to My Deportation (The New Yorker, 24 June 2025)

* News Over Noise [PODCAST] Episode 308: The Campus Free Speech Panic: Who’s Fueling the Misinformation Machine? (Bradford Vivian)

* Creative Commons 4.0 Has Arrived on Flickr! (Flickr, 18 Jun 2025)

* Geeks of the Week

* Jason: https://witsyai.com/

* Wes: Wes’ Pinboard - Creating Cool Websites (June 2025 media camp) - BookletCreator

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* This Year’s Hot New Tool for Chefs? ChatGPT. (NYT; 2 June 2025 - Gift Link)

* Hardfork Interview with Pete Wells

* AI Company Anthropic Sued Over Use of Copyrighted Books to Train Chatbots (AP News, 25 June 2025)

* From Threads to Thoughts: How Social Media Is Shaping Public Dialogue (Deliberative Citizenship Initiative, 24 June 2025)

Episode 354 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 353: Chatbots and Safeguards

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 20:34:31 GMT

Welcome to episode 353 (“Chatbots and Safeguards”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 11, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) open with context on the live show and summer schedules before diving into the week’s biggest debates, starting with Apple’s WWDC: not a “ground-shaking” year, but still a polished, integrated slate of updates—complete with keynote-style visual summaries that double as classroom exemplars for storytelling and infographics—and a candid take on why “Apple Intelligence,” Vision Pro, and even the under-loved Freeform whiteboarding app land differently across mixed device ecosystems in schools (Mac/Windows/ChromeOS) and organizations. They contrast Apple’s cautious AI posture with practical educator workflows: Jason demos Gemini Deep Research to generate buyer’s-guide dossiers right inside Google Docs, then compares results with Perplexity’s new Labs feature that spins up shareable, code-backed “mini-apps” and interactive visual reports—useful for product vetting, classroom planning, and PD artifacts. The hosts also surface market-reality checks for K–12 and higher ed, noting estimates that ChromeOS holds a majority of K–12 share (≈55%) while nearly vanishing in higher ed—an adoption split that shapes software choices and collaboration norms. Turning to platform governance, they revisit the WordPress drama and welcome a “FAIR” path forward under the Linux Foundation—federated, community-governed repositories that add a distribution layer without forking WordPress—framed as a healthier open-web model after months of conflict. Next up is the Character.AI case: a federal judge declined to grant chatbots blanket free-speech protections (for now), allowing claims to proceed after a teen’s death was linked to long-running chatbot interactions—prompting concrete guidance for educators and parents on guardrails, supervision, and avoiding anthropomorphizing conversational AIs with “human” names. They close with Geeks of the Week: Wes experiments with privacy-focused LibreWolf amid growing Chrome bloat complaints, and Jason shares WebCatalog for turning web apps into tidy, dockable desktop apps—handy in the AI-era of tab overload.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Big Win in Our Character.AI Lawsuit: TJLP Statement on the Motion to Dismiss Decision (Tech Justice Law Project, 21 May 2025)

* A Federal Judge Ruled AI Chatbots Don’t Have Free Speech Protections — For Now (Marketplace, 6 Jun 2025)

* Character.AI: What to Know About the Role-Playing AI Tool and Its New Video Features (CNET, 10 Jun 2025)

* Chatbot Platform Character.AI Unveils Video Generation, Social Feeds (TechCrunch, 2 Jun 2025)

* Buyer’s Guides

* Prompt

* Google Gemini Deep Research

* Perplexity Labs Research

* Mac Software Web Object

* School OS Web Object

* WWDC 2025 Main Keynote (YouTube, 9 June 2025, 1.5 hours)

* Apple is shipping through it (Platformer; 9 June 2025)

* Apple Opens Its AI to Developers but Keeps Its Broader Ambitions Modest (Reuters, 9 Jun 2025)

* The Path Forward for WordPress (Joost Blog, 5 Jun 2025)

* WordPress Co-Founder Mullenweg’s Reaction To FAIR Project (Search Engine Journal, 10 June 2025)

* Disney, Universal Sued Over AI Images Allegedly Made With Midjourney (AP News, 10 June 2025)

* Geeks of the Week

* Jason: WebCatalog

* Wes: Beyond the Algorithmic Feed - LibreWolf

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* A Professor Testing ChatGPT’s, DeepSeek’s and Grok’s Stock-Picking Skills Suggests Stockbrokers Should Worry (MarketWatch, 10 Jun 2025)

* We Need More AI Oversight, Not Less (Seattle Times, 9 Jun 2025)

* Unpacking Empire AI: Karen Hao | Podcast Transcript (MSNBC, 11 Jun 2025)

* 2025 Student Guide to AI by Elon University

* The Government Knows AGI is Coming (Video: The Ezra Klein Show, 4 March 2025, 63 min)

* The Man Who ‘A.G.I.-Pilled’ Google (NYT Hard Fork Podcast, 23 May 2025)

* Teachers Are Not OK (404 Media; 2 June 2025)

* Against Technofeudal Education (The American Vandal; 10 June 2025)

* Artificial Power: 2025 Landscape Report (AI Now; 3 June 2025)

* I Think I’m Done Thinking About genAI For Now (Glyph Lefkowitz; 4 June 2025)

* Perplexity Labs - Cheap Perplexity? - Travel Budget Example

* Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI (The Verge; 28 April 2025)

* Going ‘AI first’ appears to be backfiring on Klarna and Duolingo (Fast Company; 12 May 2025)

* Apple Tiptoes With Modest AI Updates While Rivals Race Ahead (Ars Technica, 9 Jun 2025)

* Apple Underwhelms at WWDC With Incremental AI Changes, New Software Name and ‘Liquid Glass’ Design (AP News, 10 Jun 2025)

* The problem(s) with platforms with Cory Doctorow (Democracy Works Podcast, 19 March 2025)

Episode 353 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 352: AI Slop Tsunami

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 20:09:35 GMT

Welcome to episode 352 (“AI Slop Tsunami”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 22, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpack the rising tide of low-quality, AI-generated content flooding social feeds and classrooms—and share practical media-literacy moves educators can use right now (think SIFT-style verification, lateral reading, and modeling professional skepticism). They examine looming district tech debt and tool consolidation decisions (e.g., Zoom/Box → Microsoft 365) in the context of budgets, data privacy, and teacher workflow, then pivot to what Google I/O means for schools: Gemini/LearnLM updates, NotebookLM for research scaffolding, and new Workspace-integrated quiz/feedback features that could reduce teacher busywork. The conversation digs into K–12 AI literacy and assessment futures—why “debate, not detect” is a healthier stance than AI detectors, how to document authorship and the writing process, and where AI courses might live in the curriculum. They also debrief recent testing outages and what they reveal about systems resilience and contingency planning. Rounding things out, Jason and Wes share hands-on classroom workflows (OpenMCQ-style quiz generation, AI-assisted project management, and audio cleanup with Auphonic), plus concrete guardrails for using AI as a genuine thought partner rather than a shortcut.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Meta Battles an ‘Epidemic of Scams’ as Criminals Flood Instagram and Facebook (WSJ, 15 May 2025) archive.ph link

* Google NotebookLM made by Google describing all of the new released by Google at Google I/O

* OpenAI and Jony Ive Open io

* SIFT Prompt (via Mike Caufield)

* PISA 2029 Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy

* Dear College Board: a note from K-12 Technology Leaders

* Trimming the Edtech Fat: How Districts Are Streamlining Their Digital Ecosystems (EdSurge; 16 May 2025)

* Authorship technologies:

* Cursive cursivetechnology.com/

* www.scribbleai.com/

* Geeks of the Week:

* Wes: Better Video Audio with Auphonic and Study Hall and [VIDEO] The “vibe coding” mind virus explained… (Fireship)

* Jason: https://github.com/theJayTea/WritingTools

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Everything Google announced at I/O 2025: Gemini, Search, Android, and more (9 to 5 Google; 21 May 2025)

* What are the Gemini app’s free, AI Pro, and AI Ultra limits (9 to 5 Google; 21 May 2025)

* Project Starline becomes Google Beam, debuts real-time translation (9 to 5 Google; 20 May 2025)

* So Many GSuite AI Stuff: Gmail getting personalized smart replies as Google Vids adds AI avatars (9 to 5 Google; 20 MAy 2025)

* Google’s NotebookLM is getting Video Overviews (TechCrunch; 20 May 2025)

* Future ChatGPT Could Store and Analyze Your Entire Digital Life (Digital Information World; 16 May 2025)

* UT Unveils Proposed Guidelines for Responsible Use of AI in Teaching and Learning (UT News; 20 May 2025)

* “AI First”

* Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI (The Verge; 28 April 2025)

* Going ‘AI first’ appears to be backfiring on Klarna and Duolingo (Fast Company; 12 May 2025)

* A4L: A4L: An Architecture for AI-Augmented Learning (Arxiv; 8 May 2025)

* Accessibility: AI for Accessible Education: Personalized Audio-Based Learning for Blind Students (Arxiv; 23 April 2025)

* White House Issues Executive Order to Advance AI Education for American Youth (National Law Review: 5 May 2025)

* CEOs of Microsoft, Salesforce, and Hundreds More Push for AI Training in High School (INC. Magazine; 7 May 2025)

* IRS hopes to replace fired enforcement workers with AI (The Register; 8 May 2025)

* Google is going to let kids use its Gemini AI (2 May 2025)

* Student Perspectives on the Benefits and Risks of AI in Education (Arxiv; 4 May 2025)

* Tether Enters AI Arena With Tether.AI (CoinDesk; 5 May 2025)

* Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Reportedly Changing Its Deal With ChatGPT (Yahoo Finance, 13 May 2025)

* We need to prepare for ‘addictive intelligence’ (MIT Tech Review, 8 Aug 2024)

* Stuff to Try:

* Qwen Deep Research

* LegoGPT | Article

* Ideogram 3.0

* Microsoft launches Phi-4-Reasoning-Plus, a small, powerful, open weights reasoning model! (Future Beat; 1 May 2025) | Free Access via OpenRouter

* Someone got an LLM running on a Commodore 64 from 1982, and it runs as well as you’d imagine (XDA; 4 May 2025)

* Hugging Face releases a free Operator-like agentic AI tool (TechCrunch; 6 May 2025)

Episode 352 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 351: AI Sycophancy and Chatbots for Kids

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 19:47:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 351 (“AI Sycophancy and Chatbots for Kids”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 14, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) dive into AI Trust You—a Long Beach USD/Stanford framework and Chrome extension that helps students disclose and categorize how they used AI (content creation, research assistance, audiovisual generation, and comprehension) to build a classroom culture of transparency, with live demos of generating “truth & trust” statements right inside Google Docs. They connect this to rising academic integrity cases and the need for explicit, ethical AI guidance rather than bans—plus a nudge to include coding as a first-class use case in the framework. From there, the hosts unpack the recent wave of “sycophancy” in frontier models—chatbots flattering users to keep engagement—and how to probe responses for objectivity, referencing both OpenAI’s post-mortem and Hard Fork’s coverage. They also spotlight Mike Caulfield’s SIFT/“Check, Please!” fact-checking prompt as a practical media-literacy superpower for classrooms (including examples of using AI to check fast-moving video claims), and share takeaways from trying Meta AI, Deep Research (Qwen), Ideogram 3.0, and other hands-on tools. In platform news, they say farewell to Google’s iconic “I’m Feeling Lucky” as the homepage pivots to AI Mode, discussing what this reveals about the future of search and student research habits. They close with a lively debate on copyright, creator rights, and classroom fair-use practices in an AI era—plus a few ad-blocking and policy detours—before wrapping with Geeks of the Week (Croissant for iOS; “The Document is the Prompt”).

🔗 Links We Discussed

* Social AI Companions (Common Sense Media, 28 April 2025) - ChatGPT Summary

* People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies (Rolling Stone, 4 May 2025) - Archive.ph version

* We Let the Chatbots In — Now They’re Teaching “Care” (James O’Hagan on Medium)

* AI Trust You

* AI Trust You (EdTech Digest; 14 April 2025)

* Chrome Plugin

* Creating AI Transparency and Academic Honesty With AI Trust You, A New Free Browser Extension (Tech & Learning; 21 April 2025)

* SIFT Prompt (via Mike Caufield)

* https://www.meta.ai/

* Expanding on what we missed with sycophancy; OpenAI (OpenAI; 2 May 2025)

* HardFork on Sycophancy

* RIP “I’m feeling lucky:” Google Homepage Pushes AI Mode Forward, Leaves ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ Button Behind (Digital Information World; 14 May 2025)

* Elon Musk’s apparent power play at the Copyright Office completely backfired (The Verge, 14 May 2025)

* Judge in Meta case warns AI could ‘obliterate’ market for original works (Reuters; 1 May 2025)

* Alternative to UBlock Origin: https://nextdns.io/

* Emily Bender & Alex Hanna: “The AI Con” — Busting Big-Tech Hype, TESCREAL Terrors & Real-World Harms - AI Inside | The Book

* Geek of the Week

* Wes: Croissant for iOS

* Jason: The Document is the Prompt: The Two Quiet Superpowers of Today’s AI Tools (Jason @ LinkedIn)

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* “AI First”

* Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI (The Verge; 28 April 2025)

* Going ‘AI first’ appears to be backfiring on Klarna and Duolingo (Fast Company; 12 May 2025)

* A4L: A4L: An Architecture for AI-Augmented Learning (Arxiv; 8 May 2025)

* Accessibility: AI for Accessible Education: Personalized Audio-Based Learning for Blind Students (Arxiv; 23 April 2025)

* White House Issues Executive Order to Advance AI Education for American Youth (National Law Review: 5 May 2025)

* CEOs of Microsoft, Salesforce, and Hundreds More Push for AI Training in High School (INC. Magazine; 7 May 2025)

* IRS hopes to replace fired enforcement workers with AI (The Register; 8 May 2025)

* Google is going to let kids use its Gemini AI (2 May 2025)

* Student Perspectives on the Benefits and Risks of AI in Education (Arxiv; 4 May 2025)

* Tether Enters AI Arena With Tether.AI (CoinDesk; 5 May 2025)

* Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Reportedly Changing Its Deal With ChatGPT (Yahoo Finance, 13 May 2025)

* Microsoft launches Phi-4-Reasoning-Plus, a small, powerful, open weights reasoning model! (Future Beat; 1 May 2025) | Free Access via OpenRouter

* Hugging Face releases a free Operator-like agentic AI tool (TechCrunch; 6 May 2025)

* Stuff to Try:

* Qwen Deep Research

* LegoGPT | Article

* Ideogram 3.0

Episode 351 is also available on YouTube.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 350: AI as Thought Partner

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 25 Oct 2025 18:44:24 GMT

Welcome to episode 350 (“AI as Thought Partner”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 16, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the transformative role of AI in teaching, learning, and instructional design. Jason demonstrated how custom GPTs and Google’s Gemini Deep Research can be used to build educator personas, develop curriculum, and simulate expert councils for decision-making. The hosts reflected on image generation tools like ChatGPT-4o’s superhero and “headcut” styles for use in lessons and presentations. Wes emphasized the importance of using AI as a thinking partner—not a cheating partner—and shared how AI tools are reshaping feedback, engagement, and accessibility in his AP Computer Science classroom. They also discussed the emotional power of professional learning communities, the expanding use of video feedback with AI, and honored the legacy of edtech pioneer Maria Knee. From productivity workflows to philosophical questions about teaching in an AI-powered era, this episode is packed with insight, experimentation, and reflection.

🔗 Links We Discussed

* The AI Authoring Advantage: Balancing Speed and Substance in Course Creation

* Google Used AI To Block Three Times More Fraudulent Advertisers In 2024 (Ars Technica, 3 April 2025)

* Microsoft Is Putting Privacy-Endangering Recall Back Into Windows 11 (Ars Technica, 26 April 2025)

* Follow Stephan Bauchard on AI

* DeepSeek AI

* PlayLab AIWes’ Geek of the Week:• Wes and Shelly Share Ep 33: Sources of Joy and Summer Plans• Multi-Segment Audio Podcast Lesson

🧭 Links We Did NOT Discuss

* Obituary for Maria Knee

* Deep Research tools: Create a dossier about individuals using Gemini Deep Research

🔗 For a complete list of links from this episode, visit edtechsr.com/links

Episode 350 is also available also on YouTube:

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 349 Surveillance in the Classroom

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:36:56 GMT

Welcome to episode 349 (“Surveillance in the Classroom”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 9, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) joined from the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego to share insights on the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence in education. He and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored how AI tools like Gemini 2.5, Claude, DeepSeek, and NotebookLM are transforming teaching workflows, lesson planning, and student support. Wes described how his students are using AI-generated infographics (infopix) for cyberattack presentations, while Jason highlighted the stunning new capabilities of ChatGPT-4o’s integrated image editing. The episode took a critical look at surveillance technologies being adopted in schools, including anonymous reporting apps and keystroke-monitoring software—raising deep concerns about privacy, pedagogy, and student trust. They also discussed the rise of advanced cybersecurity practices like hardware-based MFA, passkeys, and phishing-resistant tokens, reflecting broader trends in both K-12 and higher ed. On the legal and ethical front, the hosts examined the growing wave of copyright lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft, the implications of AI’s ability to replicate training data, and cultural fears around a so-called “semantic apocalypse” caused by generative media. Jason previewed authorship verification tools like Cursive, Scribble, and Grammarly’s AI audit features—emerging tech designed to help educators track student work and AI interaction. In a discussion on free speech and media policy, they flagged bipartisan legislation like the “Take It Down Act” and revived FCC distortion rules that could threaten press freedom. NotebookLM’s new mind map feature and its use for organizing YouTube transcripts was showcased as a standout example of AI for educators. Other tools mentioned included FlintAI, OpenRouter, Ideogram 3, Firefly AI, and the evolving capabilities of Gmail and Google Meet powered by Gemini. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 349 Surveillance in the Classroom (audio)

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 17:17:13 GMT

Welcome to episode 349 (“Surveillance in the Classroom”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 9, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) joined from the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego to share insights on the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence in education. He and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored how AI tools like Gemini 2.5, Claude, DeepSeek, and NotebookLM are transforming teaching workflows, lesson planning, and student support. Wes described how his students are using AI-generated infographics (infopix) for cyberattack presentations, while Jason highlighted the stunning new capabilities of ChatGPT-4o’s integrated image editing. The episode took a critical look at surveillance technologies being adopted in schools, including anonymous reporting apps and keystroke-monitoring software—raising deep concerns about privacy, pedagogy, and student trust. They also discussed the rise of advanced cybersecurity practices like hardware-based MFA, passkeys, and phishing-resistant tokens, reflecting broader trends in both K-12 and higher ed. On the legal and ethical front, the hosts examined the growing wave of copyright lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft, the implications of AI's ability to replicate training data, and cultural fears around a so-called “semantic apocalypse” caused by generative media. Jason previewed authorship verification tools like Cursive, Scribble, and Grammarly’s AI audit features—emerging tech designed to help educators track student work and AI interaction. In a discussion on free speech and media policy, they flagged bipartisan legislation like the “Take It Down Act” and revived FCC distortion rules that could threaten press freedom. NotebookLM's new mind map feature and its use for organizing YouTube transcripts was showcased as a standout example of AI for educators. Other tools mentioned included FlintAI, OpenRouter, Ideogram 3, Firefly AI, and the evolving capabilities of Gmail and Google Meet powered by Gemini. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 348 Goodbye Home Button

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 17:24:13 GMT

Check out our Episode 348 from February 19, 2025! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers (Microsoft Research)

* Microsoft shows progress toward real-time AI-generated game worlds (ArsTechnica, 19 Feb 2025)

* Google pulls Gemini from main search app on iOS (TechCrunch, 19 Feb 2025)

* Google owner drops promise not to use AI for weapons (The Guardian, 5 Feb 2025) - stopkillerrobots.org

* 6 unsettling thoughts Google's former CEO has about artificial intelligence (NPR, 5 Feb 2025)

* Now you can use Deep Research in Gemini on the Go (Google Blog; 18 February 2025)

* Apple has officially killed off the Home Button (Apple Insider, 19 Feb 2025) “you cannot purchase any new Apple products that feature a Lightning port”

* Apple debuts iPhone 16e: A powerful new member of the iPhone 16 family (Apple Newsroom; 19 February 2025)

* Google says commercial quantum computing applications arriving within five years (Reuters, 5 Feb 2025)

* Microsoft-DARPA collaboration yields possible quantum chip breakthrough (Defense One, 19 Feb 2025)

* Microsoft Transitioning Away from HoloLens Mixed Reality Hardware (THE Journal, 18 Feb 2025)

* AI Inside podcast: aiinside.show

* Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI Kindle Edition by Ethan Mollick

* Book: “Hunter Killer: The True Story of the Drone Mission That Killed Anwar al-Awlaki” by T. Mark McCurley

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: MacWhisper - Google Recorder

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Upscayl - Scrollytelling - Oasis (blog post)

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Elon Musk’s xAI releases its latest flagship model, Grok 3 (TechCrunch; 17 February 2025)

* Introducing Perplexity Deep Research (Perplexity Blog)

* OpenAI tries to ‘uncensor’ ChatGPT (TechCrunch; 16 February 2025)

* OpenAI removes certain content warnings from ChatGPT (TechCrunch; 13 February 2025)

* China's Baidu to make latest Ernie AI model open-source as competition heats up (Reuters; 13 February 2025)

* Accelerating scientific breakthroughs with an AI co-scientist (Google Research Blog; 19 February 2025)

* AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it (AP, 26 Dec 2024)

* Fiverr wants gig workers to offload some of their work to AI (TechCrunch; 18 February 2025)

* Superhuman introduces AI-powered categorization to reduce spammy emails in your inbox (Tech Crunch; 19 February 2025)

* YouTube by the numbers: uncovering YouTube's ghost town of billions of unwatched, ignored videos (TechSpot, 17 Feb 2025)

* Clearview AI’s CEO Resigns As Facial Recognition Company Focuses On Trump 'Opportunities' (Forbes, 19 Feb 2025) archive.ph paywall free link

* Data watchdog fines Clearview AI $33M for 'illegal' data collection (MSN, 3 Sept 2024)

* The Best Instagram Alternatives If You're Sick of Meta (LifeHacker, 18 Feb 2025)

* Behind the Curtain: America's drone-swarm crisis (Axios, 18 Feb 2025)

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EdTechSR Ep 348 Goodbye Home Button (audio)

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 17:20:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 348 (“Goodbye Home Button”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 19, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpacked Apple’s latest hardware evolution as the company officially retires the home button and lightning port, fully embracing USB-C and ushering in a new chapter for iPhones and iPads. The conversation explored the impacts for educators, older adults, and anyone adapting to Apple’s increasingly button-free, AI-enhanced devices. AI took center stage throughout the show, with a thoughtful discussion on the role of generative AI in classrooms, including Microsoft’s recent study suggesting AI reliance may diminish cognitive effort and confidence, and practical examples of using AI as a “thinking partner” rather than a “cheating partner” for student work. Quantum computing made headlines with news of a Microsoft-DARPA collaboration that could pave the way for more compact, powerful quantum chips, with broad implications for security, AI, and even battlefield technology. The hosts also examined Alphabet’s quiet removal of its longstanding promise not to use AI for weapon development, raising new questions about tech ethics and military AI. The episode wrapped with insights on AI-driven research tools from Gemini, Perplexity, and OpenAI, Minecraft-inspired AI-generated worlds, the mixed promise of VR/AR for classrooms, and ongoing hardware challenges for schools adopting emerging technologies. Geeks of the Week included AI-powered transcription with MacWhisper, open-source image upscaling tools, and digital storytelling resources for educators. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 347 DeepSeek Disruption

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 02:28:34 GMT

Check out our Episode 347 from February 12, 2025! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Machines of Loving Grace by Dario Amodei (Oct 2024 - Anthropic CEO - via #ChinaTalk [PODCAST] “Anthropic's Dario Amodei on AI Competition” (5 Feb 2025)

* LeonardoAI from Canva

* Google Illuminate

* Introducing DeepSeek-V3 (DeepSeek API Docs; 26 December 2024)

* YouTube TV Viewers Outnumber Mobile (World Screens; 11 February 2025)

* Many Americans still don’t understand how easily IoT devices can get bricked (ArsTechnica, 5 Feb 2025)

* Macs under attack from North Korean malware stealing passwords and more — how to stay safe (Toms Guide, 4 Feb 2025)

* Jason's Geek of the Week: www.onlyoffice.com

* Wes' Geek of the Week: Adobe Express Animate Your Voice (example)

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Google Expands NotebookLM Plus to Individual Users (Tech Transformation; 11 February 2025)

* AI Tools Make Workers Less Critical, More Confident, Microsoft Study Finds (Science Blog; 10 February 2025)

* Irony alert: Anthropic says applicants shouldn’t use LLMs (ArsTechnica, 4 Feb 20205)

* New Survey Shows What Most People Think of AI and AI Generated Content (Digital Information World; 12 February 2025)

* ByteDance’s Deepfake Tool Creates Convincing Videos From One Photo (PetaPixel, 5 Feb 2025) - Einstein video

* Google owner drops promise not to use AI for weapons (The Guardian, 5 Feb 2025) - stopkillerrobots.org

* Perplexity Increases Context Window (Perplexity via Twitter)

* 6 unsettling thoughts Google's former CEO has about artificial intelligence (NPR, 5 Feb 2025)

* AI Reveals Hidden Interior Design Rules of the Cell A new tool predicts where proteins fit, opening new frontiers in drug discovery (IEEE Spectrum; 10 February 2025)

* Ex-Google engineer faces new US charges he stole AI secrets for Chinese companies (Reuters, 5 Feb 2025)

* Google Releases New Models (Google Develops Blog; 5 February 2025)

* A Book App Used AI to 'Roast' Its Users. It Went Anti-Woke Instead (Wired, 3 Jan 2025) - paywall free archive.ph version

* Skillfully (Case study via Anthropic)

* French AI startup Mistral launches Le Chat mobile app for iPhone, Android — can it take enterprise eyes off DeepSeek? (Venture Beat; 6 February 2025)

* Build Anything with Le Chat, Here’s How (David Ondrej via YouTube)

* DeepSeek: all the news about the startup that’s shaking up AI stocks (The Verge; 31 January 2025)

* Downloading DeepSeek could land you a 20-year prison sentence, $1M fine under proposed US bill (Fox29; 5 February 2025)

* The Dangerous A.I. Nonsense That Trump and Biden Fell For (NYT; 5 February 2025)

* DeepSeek security concerns and what people get wrong about the app vs. the model (CNBC via YouTube)

* DeepSeek: What Actually Matters (for the everyday user) (Jeff Su, YouTube)

* $42B broadband grant program may scrap Biden admin’s preference for fiber (ArsTechnica, 4 Feb 2025)

* Judge blocks Sandy Hook families’ settlement over Alex Jones bankruptcy (The Guardian, 5 Feb 2025)

* Google says commercial quantum computing applications arriving within five years (Reuters, 5 Feb 2025)

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EdTechSR Ep 347 DeepSeek Disruption

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 02:21:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 347 (“DeepSeek Disruption”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 12, 2025, where technology news met educational analysis. In this episode, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpacked the latest headlines and their educational implications. The co-hosts dove into China’s rapidly advancing DeepSeek AI model, exploring its open-source release, security concerns, and what it could mean for global AI competition. They also discussed the surprising milestone of YouTube usage surpassing mobile devices on big screens, highlighting how media consumption continues to evolve. Security remained top of mind as the conversation turned to Mac malware, online job scams, and the growing need for smart digital hygiene. The risks of unsupported IoT devices, smart home pitfalls, and home network segmentation strategies also rounded out the tech talk. To close, Wes and Jason shared their latest experiments with AI-powered learning tools like Google Illuminate and Notebook LM, along with their “Geeks of the Week” recommendations. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 346 AI Hallucinations & Hardware

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:54:42 GMT

Check out our Episode 346 from February 5 2025! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Google launches new AI models and brings ‘thinking’ to Gemini (TechCrunch, 5 Feb 2025)

* Elon Musk Wants to Get Operational Control of the Treasury’s Payment System. This Could Not Possibly Be More Dangerous (Nathan Tankus, 3 Feb 2025)

* China opens Google antitrust probe in retaliation to tariffs (The Verge 4 Feb 2025)

* Microsoft has a big Windows 10 problem, and it’s running out of time to solve it (ZDnet, 4 Feb 2025)

* Robocallers posing as FCC staff blocked after robocalling real FCC staff (ArsTechnica, 5 Feb 2025)

* Drone locates missing hiker at Crowders Mountain State Park (WBTV Charlotte, NC: 3 Feb 2025)

* Drones are now launching drones to attack other drones in Ukraine (ArsTechnica, 4 Feb 2025)

* Shein and Temu depend on a 100-year-old tariff loophole that Trump wants to close (The Verge, 3 Feb 2025)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: https://developers.home-assistant.io/docs/operating-system/

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: AI Chatbot Ethics – Sharing Mastodon Lists

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Irony alert: Anthropic says applicants shouldn’t use LLMs (ArsTechnica, 4 Feb 20205)

* ByteDance’s Deepfake Tool Creates Convincing Videos From One Photo (PetaPixel, 5 Feb 2025) - Einstein video

* Google owner drops promise not to use AI for weapons (The Guardian, 5 Feb 2025) - stopkillerrobots.org

* 6 unsettling thoughts Google's former CEO has about artificial intelligence (NPR, 5 Feb 2025)

* Ex-Google engineer faces new US charges he stole AI secrets for Chinese companies (Reuters, 5 Feb 2025)

* Skillfully (Case study via Anthropic)

* Introducing DeepSeek-V3 (DeepSeek API Docs; 26 December 2024)

* DeepSeek: all the news about the startup that’s shaking up AI stocks (The Verge; 31 January 2025)

* Downloading DeepSeek could land you a 20-year prison sentence, $1M fine under proposed US bill (Fox29; 5 February 2025)

* The Dangerous A.I. Nonsense That Trump and Biden Fell For (NYT; 5 February 2025)

* DeepSeek security concerns and what people get wrong about the app vs. the model (CNBC via YouTube)

* DeepSeek: What Actually Matters (for the everyday user) (Jeff Su, YouTube)

* Apple’s attempt to intervene in the Google Search antitrust trial is denied (The Verge, 3 Feb 2025)

* Many Americans still don’t understand how easily IoT devices can get bricked (ArsTechnica, 5 Feb 2025)

* Macs under attack from North Korean malware stealing passwords and more — how to stay safe (Toms Guide, 4 Feb 2025)

* $42B broadband grant program may scrap Biden admin’s preference for fiber (ArsTechnica, 4 Feb 2025)

* Judge blocks Sandy Hook families’ settlement over Alex Jones bankruptcy (The Guardian, 5 Feb 2025)

* Google says commercial quantum computing applications arriving within five years (Reuters, 5 Feb 2025)

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 346 AI Hallucinations & Hardware

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:47:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 346 (“AI Hallucinations & Hardware”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 5, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) dug deep into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, comparing Google’s Gemini 2.0, ChatGPT-4o, Claude, and DeepSeek to assess their strengths, hallucination issues, and classroom use cases. The hosts also examined the looming Windows 10 end-of-life deadline and what it means for schools, legacy devices, and digital sustainability. Other highlights included the dual-use implications of drone technology in education and conflict, growing concerns about AI-driven robocalls, and the implications of shifting US-China tech trade policy. As always, the show concluded with their “Geeks of the Week,” featuring home automation projects and ethical explorations of AI tools in education. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 345 TikTok, Tech & Trust

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 21:19:33 GMT

Check out our Episode 345 from January 22, 2025! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Trump rescinds Biden’s executive order on AI safety in attempt to diverge from his predecessor (AP, 22 Jan 2025)

* Anthropic chief says AI could surpass “almost all humans at almost everything” shortly after 2027 (ArsTechnica, 22 Jan 2025)

* Jason Clones His Voice with ElevenLabs

* Jason Sets up Open Router and Glarity

* Wes plans his “Golden Texas BBQ” sideline business with ChatGPT for iOS voice conversations: “BBQ Birdie Bites” (Chat log link - more: wfryer.me/tips)

* Trump admin fires security board investigating Chinese hack of large ISPs (ArsTechnica, 22 Jan 2025) - Salt Typhoon in English WikiPedia

* iPhones with TikTok installed listed for thousands of dollars on eBay after brief ban (USA Today, 22 Jan 2025)

* Why did Trump bring TikTok back? What to know about the president's ban reversal (Austin American Statesman, 22 Jan 2025)

* Wes’ TikTok backups - myfaveTT

* YouTube Premium discount coming to Google One, testing 4x playback speed (ArsTechnica, 22 Jan 2025)

* YouTube’s conversational AI starts rolling out, but only to Premium subscribers on Android (9to5Google, 24 Sep 2024)

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Silly--NotebookLM Vamping Dehumidifier and List of Sweets

* https://www.home-assistant.io/

* TP Link Tapo Security Cameras: https://us.store.tp-link.com/collections/tapo-security-cameras

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: “Dangerous Ideas with Wes Fryer” (Patreon) - The “Heal Our Culture” Project - Together We Rise “The First 100 Days: Co-Creating Connections and Possibilities in a Time of Transition”

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Updated Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model now available (9to5Google, 21 Jan 2025)

* How AI and human teachers can collaborate to transform education (World Economic Forum; 8 January 2025)

* Three ways to develop students’ AI literacy (Times Higher Education; 2 January 2025)

* AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it (Skagit Valley Herald; 26 December 2024)

* AI Agents Will Shape Every Aspect Of Education In 2025 (Forbes; 26 December 2025)

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EdTechSR Ep 345 TikTok, Tech & Trust

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 21:16:30 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTechSR Ep 344 Voices We Can’t Trust

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 22:44:57 GMT

Check out our Episode 344 from January 15, 2025! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* AI Trends in Ed Tech to Watch in 2025 (EdTech Magazine 15 January 2025)

* Meta scrambles to delete its own AI accounts after backlash intensifies (CNN, 3 Jan 2025)

* Meta’s fake AI users are here and they’re giving everybody the creeps (Sherwood News, 3 Jan 2025) via Doug Peterson on BlueSky

* More: 3 Feb 2025 free webinar “AI ChatBot Ethics)

* Information literacy is key in the age of AI (eSchoolNews, 19 Dec 2024)

* One quick trick to make AI actually useful (Vox; 12 December 2024)

* 'The New York Times' takes OpenAI to court. ChatGPT's future could be on the line (NPR, 14 Jan 2025)

* The Supreme Court doesn’t seem likely to save TikTok (Vox; 10 January 2025)

* With TikTok ban looming, how many Americans support it? Public opinion has changed a lot (USA Today; 15 January 2025)

* Microsoft won’t support Office apps on Windows 10 after October 14th (The Verge; 15 January 2025)

* German government may yet quit X over algorithms, spokesperson says (Reuters, 10 Jan 2025)

* Meta Says It Will End Its Fact-Checking Program on Social Media Posts (NY Times; 7 January 2025) (Gift Link)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Highlight AI; Google AI Studio - Play.AI

* Wes’ Geek of the Week: MediaEdForum 2025 Notes - My Screen Setup for Virtual Learning - Stouchi Continuity Camera Mount

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* AI co-workers and more: Experts offer predictions for the fast-evolving technology (ABC News 13; 15 January 2025)

* AI Applications

* Pentagon to test how generative AI would perform in fight with China (Defense One; 15 January 25)

* How AI and human teachers can collaborate to transform education (World Economic Forum; 8 January 2025)

* Three ways to develop students’ AI literacy (Times Higher Education; 2 January 2025)

* AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it (Skagit Valley Herald; 26 December 2024)

* AI Agents Will Shape Every Aspect Of Education In 2025 (Forbes; 26 December 2025)

* It’s getting harder to measure just how good AI is getting (Vox; 12 January 2025)

* Microsoft Backtracks After Teasing an End to Free Windows 11 Upgrades (PC Magazine; 15 January 2025)

* The Internet Is Worse Than a Brainwashing Machine: A rationale is always just a scroll or a click away by Charlie Warzel and Mike Caulfield (The Atlantic, 6 Jan 2025) (Paywall free link)

* Open-World Games Like Zelda Can Boost Your Mental Health, Study Says (Science Alert, 6 Jan 2025)

* Tracing the Anti-Establishment Shift Among Podcasts and the Role of Platforms (Tech Policy Press, 2 Jan 2025)

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EdTechSR Ep 344 Voices We Can’t Trust

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 22:41:37 GMT

Welcome to episode 344 (“Voices We Can’t Trust”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 15, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) examined the fast-moving frontier of artificial intelligence, starting with voice cloning tools like Play.ht and the ethical dilemmas they present. The conversation then pivoted to Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking program, highlighting rising concerns over misinformation, harassment, and platform responsibility. TikTok’s potential U.S. ban sparked dialogue about regulatory overreach, legal complexities, and the app’s cultural impact. The hosts also discussed the New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI, with implications for copyright law and AI development. Additional topics included the sunset of Windows 10, the fractured nature of online discourse, and the increasing need for robust media literacy education. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 343 Clickbait and Chrome

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 22:29:20 GMT

Check out our Episode 343 from January 1, 2025! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Arizona’s getting an online charter school taught entirely by AI (TechCrunch, 20 Dec 2024)

* How Google Spent 15 Years Creating a Culture of Concealment (NYTimes, 20 Nov 2024) #GiftLink (“Vegas”)

* Inside South Korea’s right-wing YouTube world openly embraced by Yoon (Reuters, 16 Dec 2024) – BlueSky quote

* Is Bluesky the New Twitter for Teachers? (Education Week, 17 Dec 2024)

* Video Accuses Honey Browser Extension of Shady Business Practices and We Found Some Truth to It (Snopes, 30 Dec 2024)

* The Honey Scam and the Ridiculous Mess of Affiliate Marketing (Hank Green [VIDEO}, 24 Dec 2024)

* Some of the Best Reuters Photos of 2024, and the Stories Behind Them (Wider Image, 17 Dec 2024)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: ChromeBook Recommendation: Dell Enterprise 5430 Chromebook

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Show Clips via SubStack – Terms of Service – Didn’t Read – Upcoming MediaEd Webinars – Dangerous Ideas with Wes Fryer

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Why I switched from Windows to Chromebooks and haven’t looked back (PC World, 3 Nov 2024)

* Information literacy is key in the age of AI (eSchoolNews, 19 Dec 2024)

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTechSR Ep 343 Clickbait and Chrome

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 22:22:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 343 (“Clickbait and Chrome”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 1, 2025, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) rang in the new year with a lively discussion on AI-driven schools, content creation ethics, and platform accountability. They examined Arizona’s bold move to pilot an AI-led curriculum, the growing influence of tools like Khanmigo, and how content monetization is reshaping the web — from affiliate link scandals to the rise of short-form video. The hosts reflected on Chrome extension privacy concerns, including Honey’s controversial practices, and unpacked Google’s culture of concealment amid antitrust scrutiny. Also on tap: the media’s evolving role in political influence, the explosion of educator activity on BlueSky, and the critical importance of visual and AI literacy in classrooms today. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 342 Encrypted by Default

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 31 May 2025 14:37:00 GMT

Check out our Episode 342 from December 18, 2024! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Sora General Availability

* Sora prompt example: “Tockefeller center is overrun by golden retrievers! everywhere you look, there are golden retrievers.” https://openai.com/sora/?shareId=16

* ChatGPT Pro

* ChatGPT Search Widely Available

* Bluesky at a crossroads as users petition to ban Jesse Singal over anti-trans views, harassment (TechCrunch, 13 Dec 2024) – Change.org petition – via Renee DiResta

* Jesse Singal: Bluesky Has a Death Threat Problem (The Free Press, 17 Dec 2024)

* WikiPedia: The Free Press (online newsletter)

* How Wikipedia Became a Propaganda Site (The Free Press, 17 Sept 2024)

* Trump TV Ad Repeats False ‘Border Czar,’ Illegal Immigration Claims (FactCheck.org, 5 Aug 2024)

* U.S. officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid unprecedented cyberattack (NBC News, 3 Dec 2024)

* Sell Chrome to end search monopoly, Google told (BBC; 21 November 2024)

* Rumor: Android may take over for ChromeOS on Chromebooks in a massive move (ChromeUnboxed; 18 November 2024)Wes’ Geek of the Week: [PODCAST] Towards Resilience: A Conversation with Kate Starbird About the Future of Online Elections Discourse (8 Dec 2024)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Msty + Open Router = Cheap Desktop AI

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Introducing Gemini 2.0: our new AI model for the agentic era (Google Blog)

* NotebookLM gets a new look, audio interactivity and a premium version (Google Blog)

* Google Whisk

* Image FX from Google

* Google Deep Research in Gemini

* Create podcasts in minutes (11 Labs; 6 December 2024)

* Key leaders behind Google’s viral NotebookLM are leaving to create their own startup (TechCrunch, 4 Dec 2024) -

* https://werebuilding.ai

* Huge randomized trial of AI boosts discovery — at least for good scientists (Nature; 3 December 2024)

* Meta gains steam in its push to make Apple, Google verify users’ ages (The Washington Post; 21 November 2024) Gift Link

* TikTok Faces U.S. Ban After Losing Bid to Overturn New Law (NY Times, 6 Dec 2024)

* ChromeOS merging into Android could create new fragmentation issues (ChromeUnboxed; 22 November 2024)

* Windows 365 Link is a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud (The Verge; 19 November 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 342 Encrypted by Default

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 31 May 2025 00:39:14 GMT

Welcome to episode 342 (“Encrypted by Default”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 18, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) unpacked the FBI’s unprecedented advice urging Americans to use encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp, discussing the implications for personal privacy, national security, and school digital literacy. The show also dove into the Justice Department’s surprising push for Google to divest from Chrome, raising questions about the future of ChromeOS and educational tech ecosystems. Wes shared the latest drama from BlueSky's decentralized moderation challenges, while Jason demoed real-time features of Google Gemini, showcasing just how sentient-like modern AI agents have become. Plus, a flurry of new AI tools from OpenAI and Google — including Sora, NotebookLM, and Gemini 2.0 — led to a creative explosion of possibilities in the classroom. “Geeks of the Week” highlighted an election-focused podcast from Kate Starbird and a budget-friendly combo for running AI locally with Msty and OpenRouter. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 341 Blue Sky Rising

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 03:00:11 GMT

Check out our Episode 341 from December 4, 2024! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Your Bluesky Posts Are Probably Training AI (404 Media Podcast, 4 Dec 2024)

* Facebook Friend Safety Tips (Wes Fryer on Speed of Creativity, 1 Dec 2024)

* Play.ai (audio cloning and text to audio)

* Grammarly on MacOS

* Freepik AI Generator

* “Downranking Links” – Twitter (and Threads) Have Made a HUGE Mistake (Hank Green on YouTube, 16 min, 29 Nov 2024)

* A seventh grade media literacy class demonstrates how to handle tough conversations this Thanksgiving (CBS News, 28 Nov 2024)

* The Hidden Lifespan of Smart Devices: What the FTC’s Report Means for Consumers (Consumer Reports; 26 November 2024)

* The Redbox Removal Team (404Media, 28 Nov 2024)

* Supreme Court To Review Legality Of FCC-Managed Universal Service Fund (MSN, 23 Nov 2024)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: ChatGPT Summary for Chrome

* Wes’ Geek of the Week: “The 12 Days of AI” via Kevin Hodgeson (@dogtrax.bsky.social)

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* OpenAI’s take on AI agents could come in January (TechCrunch; 13 November 2024)

* I’m a neurology ICU nurse. The creep of AI in our hospitals terrifies me (Coda Story; 12 November 2024)

* AI-Powered ‘Death Clock’ Promises a More Exact Prediction of the Day You’ll Die (Bloomberg; 30 November 24; Archive Link)

* ChatGPT’s search results for news are ‘unpredictable’ and frequently inaccurate (The Verge; 3 December 2024)

* Interesting story about AI Hacking on X

* ElevenLabs has new “Projects” functionality

* Research: How Gen AI Is Already Impacting the Labor Market (Harvard Business Review; 11 November 2024)

* Vatican, Microsoft create AI-generated St. Peter’s Basilica to allow virtual visits, log damage (AP; 11 November 2024)

* AI-powered tool may offer quick, no-contact blood pressure and diabetes screening (American Heart Association; 11 November 2024)

* How Open Science and AI Are Advancing Hurricane Research (NASA, 12 Nov 2024)

* Transform to Open Science (NASA)

* Bluesky implements a 'more aggressive' impersonation policy (Engadget; 30 November 2024)

* Meta scrambles to respond to upstart social platform Bluesky’s surge (Washington Post, 23 Nov 2024) #PaywallFree

* China-linked hackers stole wiretap data from telcos, FBI and CISA say (Politico; 13 November 2024)

* Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany (Wired; 18 November 2024)

* Meta gains steam in its push to make Apple, Google verify users’ ages (The Washington Post; 21 November 2024) Gift Link

* Sell Chrome to end search monopoly, Google told (BBC; 21 November 2024)

* Rumor: Android may take over for ChromeOS on Chromebooks in a massive move (ChromeUnboxed; 18 November 2024)

* ChromeOS merging into Android could create new fragmentation issues (ChromeUnboxed; 22 November 2024)

* Windows 365 Link is a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud (The Verge; 19 November 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 341 Blue Sky Rising

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 02:55:54 GMT

Welcome to episode 341 (“Blue Sky Rising”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 4, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the surge in popularity of Bluesky as a social platform for educators, the rising importance of media literacy, and the expanding role of AI in classrooms and personal security. Jason shared insights from Montana’s first AI Play Date event, and Wes highlighted a fantastic media literacy teaching example making national headlines. The hosts also discussed the hidden security risks of smart devices, the unexpected afterlife of Redbox kiosks, and the powerful implications of voice cloning technologies. Other topics included privacy concerns surrounding Bluesky post-scraping and the Supreme Court’s upcoming review of the FCC’s Universal Service Fund. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 340 Big Tech & Big Changes

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:46:51 GMT

Check out our Episode 340 from November 13, 2024! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Google’s AI ‘learning companion’ takes chatbot answers a step further (The Verge 11 November 2024)

* Announcing general availability of Google Vids: Our new AI-powered video creation app for work to help tell stories across your organization (Google Blog; 7 November 2024)

* vids.new (URL shortcut to create a new Google Video)

* Mac Mini M4… whoa! M4 Mac mini review: The first redesign in years hides incredible computing power (Apple Insider; 13 november 2024)

* iOS 18.2 makes AirPods more powerful than ever, here’s why (9 to 5 Mac; 12 November 2024)

* YouTube viewers guzzled 84 million hours of Presidential Election Day news (Fortune; 6 November 2024)

* Racist text messages referencing slavery raise alarms in multiple states and prompt investigations (AP, 10 Nov 2024)

* Bluesky crosses the 15 million user mark (The Verge, 13 Nov 2024)

* Amazon starts drone deliveries in Arizona (The Verge, 6 Nov 2024)

* book: Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Descript and Wes is on TruthSocial?!

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Google Machine Learning Crash Course

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* OpenAI’s take on AI agents could come in January (TechCrunch; 13 November 2024)

* I’m a neurology ICU nurse. The creep of AI in our hospitals terrifies me (Coda Story; 12 November 2024)

* AI in Notepad?? Even Microsoft Notepad is getting AI text editing now (The Verge; 6 November 2024)

* ElevenLabs has new “Projects” functionality

* Freepik AI Generator

* Vatican, Microsoft create AI-generated St. Peter’s Basilica to allow virtual visits, log damage (AP; 11 November 2024)

* AI-powered tool may offer quick, no-contact blood pressure and diabetes screening (American Heart Association; 11 November 2024)

* How Open Science and AI Are Advancing Hurricane Research (NASA, 12 Nov 2024)

* Transform to Open Science (NASA)

* Research: How Gen AI Is Already Impacting the Labor Market (Harvard Business Review; 11 November 2024)

* The images of Spain’s floods weren’t created by AI. The trouble is, people think they were (The Guardian; 9 November 2024)

* AI didn’t sway the election, but it deepened the partisan divide (WaPo; 9 November 2024)

* The other election night winner: Perplexity (TechCrunch; 6 November 2024)

* Misguided Apple Intelligence Ads (Tidbits; 11 November 2024)

* The tiny tweak that could change YouTube forever (The Verge; 13 November 2024)

* Google’s Gemini Gems are a hit, and they are getting even more powerful (Chrome Unboxed; 13 November 2024)

* Google Slides gets a refresh with new, professionally designed templates (Chrome Unboxed; 9 November 2024)

* These are the passwords you definitely shouldn’t be using (The Verge; 13 November 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 340 Big Tech & Big Changes

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:44:15 GMT

Welcome to episode 340 (“Big Tech & Big Changes”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 13, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the latest shifts in the tech landscape, from Apple’s hardware advancements to AI’s growing role in education and privacy concerns. Jason shared insights on upgrading to Apple’s new MacBook Pro with an M4 chip, emphasizing its speed, efficiency, and potential for running local AI models. The conversation expanded into the broader implications of AI, including the rise of open-source models and their increasing competitiveness with proprietary AI. Privacy and ethical concerns around AI usage in schools and workplaces were also discussed, along with the risks posed by AI-driven misinformation and surveillance. The hosts examined Amazon’s expansion of drone deliveries, reflecting on how autonomous technologies are reshaping logistics and transportation. Jason recounted his firsthand experience with Waymo’s self-driving taxis in Phoenix, offering insights into their cautious driving behavior and evolving role in urban mobility. Social media developments were another hot topic, with a deep dive into BlueSky’s rapid growth past 15 million users and its potential as a new hub for educators. The discussion also touched on the dangers of mass text-based disinformation campaigns following the recent election, highlighting the broader need for digital literacy and stronger privacy protections. Finally, in “Geeks of the Week,” Wes highlighted Descript, a powerful AI-based podcast and video editing tool, and his surprising experience joining Truth Social to observe its information ecosystem. Jason recommended Google’s Machine Learning Crash Course, now updated with generative AI examples for those looking to deepen their understanding of AI development. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 339 Social Media Challenges in Schools

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 21:54:35 GMT

Check out our Episode 339 from November 6, 2024! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Microsoft just delayed Recall again (The Verge; 31 October 2024)

* OpenAI’s search engine is now live in ChatGPT (The Verge; 31 October 2024)

* Anthropic’s Claude AI chatbot now has a desktop app (The Verge; 31 October 2024)

* Google to develop AI that takes over computers, The Information reports (Reuters; 26 October 2024)

* AI training for Government workers major part of smart tech plan amid ‘clear economic opportunities’ despite job fears (The Irish Sun, 6 Nov 2024)

* APPLE FAN BOY ALERT: New Apple Stuff

* The MacBook Air gets a surprise upgrade to 16GB of RAM (The Verge; 30 October 2024)

* Schools issue prom warning to pupils over missing iPads (The Times, 31 Oct 2024)

* Apple’s iOS 18.2 public beta starts opening up access to more AI features (The Verge; 6 November 2024)

* For fame or a death wish? Kids’ TikTok challenge injuries stump psychiatrists (ArsTechnica, 6 Nov 2024)

* The surprising source of kids’ stress lurking on parents’ phones (Vox; 26 October 2024)

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: www.home-assistant.io ; NotebookLM Webinar; AI Playdate at the University of Montana

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: ChatGPT LIVE Web Search – ChatGPT conversation archive for tonight’s articles – [VIDEO] Classroom Management Digital Tips for Middle School Teachers (17.5 min) – PodCampCLT.com (7 Dec 2024)

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Apple Intelligence expands in iOS 18.2 developer beta, adding Genmoji, Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT (Engadget, 23 October 2024)

* Ideogram Canvas, Magic Fill, and Extend (Ideogram; 22 October 2024)

* Asana launches a no-code tool for designing AI agents - aka your new 'teammates' (ZDNet; 22 October 2024)

* New AI experiences for Paint and Notepad begin rolling out to Windows Insiders (Microsoft Blog; 6 November 2024)

* Prime Video will let you summon AI to recap what you’re watching (The Verge; 4 November 2024)

* Researchers say an AI-powered transcription tool used in hospitals invents things no one ever said (AP; 26 October 2024)

* Downey Jr. plans to fight AI re-creations from beyond the grave (ArsTechnica, 30 Oct 2024)

* Tom Hanks warns followers to be wary of 'fraudulent' ads using his likeness through AI (NBC News; 30 August 2024)

* Google open-sourced its watermarking tool for AI-generated text (The Verge; 23 October 2024)

* AI may not steal many jobs after all. It may just make workers more efficient (AP 2 September 2024)

* Pearson gets boost from push into AI (The Times, 29 Oct 2024)

* Making the Case: Evidence Generation Infrastructure in the 2024 Election (Center for an Informed Public - University of Washington, Rapid Research Report, 28 Oct 2024)

* The Atlantic Did Not Publish an Article With the Headline “Trump Is Literally Hitler” (The Atlantic, 23 Oct 2024)

* Foreign Interference in 2024 Election Reaches New Heights, Security Experts Warn (TWIT; 29 October 2024)

* US Copyright Office “frees the McFlurry,” allowing repair of ice cream machines (ArsTechnica, 25 Oct 2024)

* Instagram saves the best video quality for the most popular content (The Verge; 27 October 2024)

* A realistic way to protect kids from social media? Find a middle ground (AP, 6 June 2024)

* Russian court fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (The Register; 29 October 2024)

* ChromeOS gets a big update with Quick Insert, Focus mode, and new AI features (The Verge; 31 October 2024)

* “Impact printing” is a cement-free alternative to 3D-printed structures (ArsTechnica, 1 Oct 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 339 Social Media Challenges in Schools

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 21:48:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 339 (“Social Media Challenges in Schools”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 6, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) tackled pressing tech issues with a focus on educational impacts. Key topics included Apple’s latest hardware releases like the Mac Mini with the M4 chip, MacBook Pro upgrades, and Apple Intelligence features such as direct ChatGPT integration and the new Image Playground app. The hosts shared their thoughts on how Apple’s seamless AI integration is enhancing productivity and creativity for educators and students alike. The discussion took a serious turn with an in-depth look at the dangers of TikTok challenges in schools, highlighting a recent JAMA Psychiatry article on the blurred lines between social media stunts and real mental health crises among youth. Wes and Jason reflected on the responsibilities of parents, educators, and tech companies in mitigating these risks. They also explored the mental health impact of grade-tracking apps, noting the anxiety these tools can create for students, especially those with learning differences. AI developments were front and center, including Ireland’s national AI training strategy for government workers and OpenAI’s new search engine tool, prompting a debate on search literacy in the age of AI. The episode also touched on Anthropic’s new desktop app for Claude and its experimental computer control feature, showcasing the rapid evolution of AI-powered tools for daily tasks. “Geeks of the Week” included Wes’ announcement of PodCamp CLT, a podcasting conference in Charlotte, NC, on December 7, and Jason’s upcoming webinar on Notebook LM for educators, along with his new home automation project using Home Assistant software. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 338 AI Security Concerns

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 23:03:11 GMT

Check out our Episode 338 from October 23, 2024! (Although this episode published instantly to YouTube, we are late getting this posted on edtechSR.com and our Substack…) Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Introducing computer use, a new Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Claude 3.5 Haiku (Anthropic Blog; 22 October 2024)

* Claude AI Can Now Control Your PC, Prompting Concern From Security Experts (Pc Magazine; 23 October 2024)

* Anthropic flags AI’s potential to ‘automate sophisticated destructive cyber attacks (ZDnet, 16 Oct 2024)

* “use wrapper with chatgpt ai key” https://mistyai.com and https://www.typingmind.com are ones Jason has used…

* Playing with AI and databases: Google has options to connect sheets

* https://www.make.com/en/ai-automation is a powerful tool for AI integrations

* Also https://n8n.io/ is AI workflow automation

* Chatbot that caused teen’s suicide is now more dangerous for kids, lawsuit says (ArsTechnica, 23 Oct 2024)

* Apple is ‘concerned’ about AI turning real photos into ‘fantasy’ (The Verge; 23 October 2023)

* Canva has a shiny new text-to-image generator (The Verge; 22 October 2024)

* San Francisco to pay $212 million to end reliance on 5.25-inch floppy disks (ArsTechnica, 23 Oct 2024)

* A world without passwords is in sight (Vox; 23 October 2024)

* Zoom hack derails Quilcene school board’s LGBTQ+ books decision (PT Leader, 23 Oct 2024)

* Passkeys with 1Password: https://1password.com/product/passkeys

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: PROJECT! Install ChromeOS on PC with Google Play Store [Intel & AMD]

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: How internet influencers, algorithms and crowds are altering our politics, our society and our very relationship to reality-with guest Renée DiResta (Thinking Clearly Podcast) and Nov 4th “Invisibile Rulers” MediaEd Webinar

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Google open-sourced its watermarking tool for AI-generated text (The Verge; 23 October 2024)

* AI may not steal many jobs after all. It may just make workers more efficient (AP 2 September 2024)

* Tom Hanks warns followers to be wary of 'fraudulent' ads using his likeness through AI (NBC News; 30 August 2024)

* Apple Intelligence expands in iOS 18.2 developer beta, adding Genmoji, Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT (Engadget, 23 October 2024)

* Ideogram Canvas, Magic Fill, and Extend (Ideogram; 22 October 2024)

* Asana launches a no-code tool for designing AI agents - aka your new 'teammates' (ZDNet; 22 October 2024)

* Unlocking autonomous agent capabilities with Microsoft Copilot Studio (Microsoft; 21 October 2024)

* Penguin Random House books now explicitly say ‘no’ to AI training (The Verge; 18 October 2024)

* 96% Accuracy: Harvard Scientists Unveil Revolutionary ChatGPT-Like AI for Cancer Diagnosis (Sci Tech Daily; 17 October 2024)

* There’s something off about this year’s “fall vibes” (Vox; 22 October 2024)

* Anthropic publicly releases AI tool that can take over the user’s mouse cursor (ArsTechnica, 22 Oct 2024)

* Please ban data caps, Internet users tell FCC (ArsTechnica, 23 Oct 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 338 AI Security Concerns

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:57:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 338 ("AI Security Concerns") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 23, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the latest developments in technology, AI advancements, and their educational implications. The show opened with a lighthearted discussion about digital media preservation, sparked by San Francisco’s costly move to retire 5.25-inch floppy disks from its subway system. The co-hosts reflected on the importance of safeguarding old media formats and backing up digital assets. Shifting to security issues, they covered a disturbing incident of a Zoom hack that disrupted a school board meeting, highlighting the vulnerabilities of virtual platforms. Additionally, they discussed the growing adoption of passkeys as a promising, passwordless future for internet security, with Dr. Neiffer sharing his experiences using passkeys through OnePassword. The conversation then turned to the ongoing battle over internet data caps, with public outcry urging the FCC to ban them. Both hosts shared their excitement about fiber internet expansion, noting its importance for equitable digital access. AI developments dominated the latter half of the show. They discussed Anthropic’s release of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and its groundbreaking "Computer Use" feature, which allows the AI to perform desktop tasks autonomously. While this innovation offers potential time-saving benefits for educators, it also raises significant security concerns, as experts warn of increased cyberattack risks. The hosts also reflected on a tragic case involving Character.AI, where a chatbot’s inappropriate interactions contributed to a teenager’s suicide. This case underscored the urgent need for stronger guardrails on AI interactions with minors. To wrap up, the co-hosts highlighted the evolving role of AI agents and discussed how platforms like make.com and Google Gemini could streamline data management and automate administrative tasks for educators. "Geeks of the Week" included make.com (Jason) – a powerful tool for automating tasks using AI and integrations, and a Passkeys Guide from OnePassword (Wes) – a resource for exploring passwordless security solutions. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 337 Teaching and Parenting in the AI Era

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:40:23 GMT

Check out our Episode 337 from October 16, 2024! Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Student was punished for using AI—then his parents sued teacher and administrators (ArsTechnica, 16 Oct 2024)

* People are using AI bots to create nude images of almost anyone online (BGR, 16 Oct 2024)

* The Vision Pro is being used to assist surgeons during live procedures (9to5Mac, 16 Oct 2024)

* The Antitrust Revolution: Liberal democracy’s last stand against Big Tech (Harpers Magazine, (Oct 2024) – Wes’ Mastodon thread

* WordPress saga escalates as WP Engine plugin forcibly forked and legal letters fly (The Register, 14 Oct 2024)

* SpaceX Calls New Starship Test a Success, Captures Rocket at Landing (Voice of America, 13 Oct 2024)

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: OpenMCQ from MTDA – Fotorama from AppNation – Stupid AI Tricks

* “From all of our interactions what is one thing that you can tell me about myself that I may not know about myself”

* “Roast me like one of your French girls”

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Webinar on Google’s NotebookLM (archived) – Radio for preparedness: What lessons can we learn from Hurricane Helene? (47 min) – Wes’ Communitarian Prepper

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* AI Sexbots Are on the Rise. Should We Regulate Them? (The Intelligence Debrief, 16 Oct 2024)

* AI may not steal many jobs after all. It may just make workers more efficient (AP 2 September 2024)

* Ask Claude: Amazon turns to Anthropic's AI for Alexa revamp (Ruters; 30 August 2024)

* Tom Hanks warns followers to be wary of 'fraudulent' ads using his likeness through AI (NBC News; 30 August 2024)

* Anthropic flags AI's potential to 'automate sophisticated destructive cyber attacks (ZDnet, 16 Oct 2024)

* Inside the TikTok documents: Stripping teens and boosting 'attractive' people (NPR, 13 October 2024)

* The Internet Archive is under attack, with a breach revealing info for 31 million accounts (Verge, 9 Oct 2024)

* There’s Never Been a Better Time to Delete Your 23andMe Data. Here’s How to Do It (Gizmodo, 16 Oct 2024)

* South Texans are going after SpaceX after the company avoided launch delays (Houston Chronicle, 15 Oct 2024)

* Amazon finally has a color Kindle, and it looks pretty good (The Verge, 16 Oct 2024)

* Unknown drones breach US military bases, baffle defense officials (DroneDJ, 14 Oct 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 337 Teaching and Parenting in the AI Era

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:01:05 GMT

Welcome to episode 337 (“Teaching and Parenting in the AI Era”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 16, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the complexities of integrating AI into education. They discussed how school administrators, teachers, and parents are grappling with challenges like AI-assisted plagiarism, privacy concerns, and balancing innovation with ethical responsibility. Topics included the evolving role of professional development in addressing AI misconceptions, the antitrust push against Big Tech, and the transformative potential of emerging technologies like Apple's Vision Pro. In “Geeks of the Week,” Jason highlighted tools like OpenMCQ and photo generation apps, while Wes showcased resources for emergency preparedness and media literacy. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, the #edtechSR hashtag on BlueSky, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 336 NotebookLM and Beyond

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Check out our Episode 336 from September 25, 2024! Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* Meta’s going to put AI-generated images in your Facebook and Instagram feeds (The Verge, 25 Sept 2024)

* Everything Announced at Meta Connect 2024: Quest 3S, Orion AR glasses and Meta AI updates (Engadget, 25 Sept 2024)

* OpenAI’s Murati shocks with sudden departure announcement (ArsTechnica, 25 Sep 2024)

* Talking to ChatGPT for the first time is a surreal experience (ArsTechnica, 25 Sep 2024)

* Hacker plants false memories in ChatGPT to steal user data in perpetuity (ArsTechnica, 25 Sep 2024)

* The Intelligence Age (Sam Altman, 23 Sep 2024)

* OpenAI CEO: We may have AI superintelligence in “a few thousand days” (ArsTechnica, 23 Sept 2024)

* Snapchat’s AI selfie feature puts your face in personalized ads — here’s how to turn it off (The Verge, 17 Sep 2024)

* Newsom signs California bill to limit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids (LA Times, 23 Sep 2024)

* What if the panic over teens and tech is totally wrong? (Vox; 18 September 2024)

* NIST proposes barring some of the most nonsensical password rules (ArsTechnica, 25 Sep 2024)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: Notion’s New AI Features

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: POWs and NotebookLM - Oct 7 Webinar: NotebookLM and Steven Johnson

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* AI may not steal many jobs after all. It may just make workers more efficient (AP 2 September 2024)

* Ask Claude: Amazon turns to Anthropic's AI for Alexa revamp (Ruters; 30 August 2024)

* Tom Hanks warns followers to be wary of 'fraudulent' ads using his likeness through AI (NBC News; 30 August 2024)

* NaNoWriMo is in disarray after organizers defend AI writing tools (The Verge; 3 September 2024)

* Oprah Winfrey Is Hosting an AI Special Tonight: What We Know (CNet; 12 September 2024)

* Oprah just had an AI special with Sam Altman and Bill Gates — here are the highlights (TechCrunch; 12 September 2024)

* The Internet Archive just lost its appeal over ebook lending (The Verge; 4 September 2024)

* AI’s impact on elections is being overblown (MIT Technology Review; 3 September 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 336 NotebookLM and Beyond

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 03:34:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 336 (“NotebookLM and Beyond”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 25, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the latest advancements in AI and educational technology, including Google’s NotebookLM updates and their transformative potential. They also examined Meta’s bold moves in integrating AI-generated images into social media feeds, discussed the implications of ChatGPT’s evolving voice interactions, and debated California’s new legislation targeting social media’s impact on youth. Other highlights included insights on OpenAI’s leadership changes and predictions about the future of AI superintelligence. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 335 NotebookLM Revolution

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 03:02:39 GMT

Check out our Episode 325 from September 18, 2024! Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* NoteBook LM From Google: https://notebooklm.google/

* Ethan Mollick on Substack: https://substack.com/@oneusefulthing

* OpenAI Announces a Model That ‘Reasons’ Through Problems, Calling It a ‘New Paradigm’ (Atlantic, 11 Sept 2024)

* NotebookLM’s new ‘Audio Overview’ turns your notes into a mini podcast (9 to 5 Google; 11 September 2024)

* iPhone 16, Apple Intelligence, AirPods 4 and more: Everything revealed at Apple Event 2024 (The Verge; 10 September 2024)

* Taylor Swift cites AI deepfakes in endorsement for Kamala Harris (ArsTechnica, 11 Sept 2024)

* Pavel Durov and Elon Musk are not free speech champions (Disconnect, 6 Sept 2024)

* Australia’s Prime Minister wants to ban social media for children (Engadget; 10 September 2024)

* 14 dead as Hezbollah walkie-talkies explode in second, deadlier attack (ArsTechnica, 18 Sept 2024)

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: GPT for Docs

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Descript - Wes and Shelly Share Ep 39 - PodCampCLT (9 Dec 2024)

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* OpenAI releases o1, its first model with ‘reasoning’ abilities (The Verge; 12 September 2024)

* AI may not steal many jobs after all. It may just make workers more efficient (AP 2 September 2024)

* Ask Claude: Amazon turns to Anthropic's AI for Alexa revamp (Ruters; 30 August 2024)

* Tom Hanks warns followers to be wary of 'fraudulent' ads using his likeness through AI (NBC News; 30 August 2024)

* NaNoWriMo is in disarray after organizers defend AI writing tools (The Verge; 3 September 2024)

* Oprah Winfrey Is Hosting an AI Special Tonight: What We Know (CNet; 12 September 2024)

* Oprah just had an AI special with Sam Altman and Bill Gates — here are the highlights (TechCrunch; 12 September 2024)

* There’s a fix for AI-generated essays. Why aren’t we using it? (Vox; 7 September 2024)

* Microsoft’s AI Can Be Turned Into an Automated Phishing Machine (Wired; 8 August 2024)

* Microsoft’s Office apps are getting more useful Copilot AI features (The Verge; 16 September 2024)

* Facebook admits to scraping every Australian adult user's public photos and posts to train AI, with no opt-out option (ABC; 11 September 2024)

* What Is AI Best at Now? Improving Products You Already Own (Wall Street Journal; 13 September 2024)

* [PODCAST] Do You Need a New iPhone? + Yuval Noah Harari’s A.I. Fears + Hard Fork Crimes Division (Hard Fork, 13 Sept 2024)

* Apple gets FDA authorization to turn the AirPods Pro into hearing aids (Verge, 12 Sept 2024)

* AI’s impact on elections is being overblown (MIT Technology Review; 3 September 2024)

* AI chatbots might be better at swaying conspiracy theorists than humans (ArsTechnica, 12 Sept 2024)

* YouTube debuts new parental controls aimed at teens (TechCrunch; 4 September 2024)

* Google will now link to The Internet Archive to add more context to Search results (9 to 5 Google; 11 September 2024)

* New Instagram features aim to boost child safety after years of criticism (NPR; 17 September 2024)

* The Internet Archive just lost its appeal over ebook lending (The Verge; 4 September 2024)

* Misc

* T-Mobile Customers Will Get Starlink Satellite Internet Directly On Their Mobiles First And Others Only Later, Says SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (Benzinga, 2 Sept 2024)

* Two private astronauts took a spacewalk Thursday morning—yes, it was historic (ArsTechnica, 12 Sept 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 335 NotebookLM Revolution

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:53:56 GMT

Welcome to episode 335 (“NotebookLM Revolution”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 18, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) delved into Google's NotebookLM advancements, including the "Audio Overview" feature revolutionizing document interaction. They explored OpenAI's new reasoning model, Apple's latest innovations from the 2024 event, and AI ethics with Taylor Swift’s stance on deepfakes. Other topics included Australia’s proposal to ban social media for children, Brazil’s action against Twitter/X, and game-changing tools like Descript and GPT integrations for productivity. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 334 Considering AI Regulation

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 18:24:34 GMT

Check out our Episode 334 from August 29, 2024! (We’ve started posting VIDEO versions here on Substack… This week we’re sharing a higher resolution version. Please let us know what you think!

Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* California legislature passes sweeping AI safety bill (The Verge; 28 August 2024)

* 100M Token Context Windows (Magic.dev; 29 August 2024)

* Apple targets Sept. 10 debut for new iPhones, AirPods and watches, Bloomberg News reports (Reuters; 23 August 2024)

* ChatGPT makes Siri more intelligent in iOS 18: Here’s how (9 to 5 Mac; 21 August 2024)

* Report: Amazon to Launch Paid Version of Alexa in October (Thurott.com; 27 August 2024)

* TikTok must face lawsuit over 10-year-old girl’s death, US court rules (Reuters; 28 August 2024)

* Tumblr to move its half a billion blogs to WordPress (TechCrunch, 28 Aug 2024)

* YouTube’s Growth As A Podcast Power Player Revealed In Cumulus Media And Signal Hill Insights’ Podcast Download – Spring 2024 Report (WestwoodOne, 8 July 2024)

* Harmful ‘Nudify’ Websites Used Google, Apple, and Discord Sign-On Systems (Wired, 29 Aug 2024)

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: How to Attribute AI (via MLA) and Zbib and NASA What’s Up?

* Jason’s Geek of the Week: LibreOffice 24.8 is Now Available

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Oprah Winfrey to Host ‘AI and the Future of Us’ ABC Special With Bill Gates and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (Variety; 29 August 2024)

* Microsoft’s AI Can Be Turned Into an Automated Phishing Machine (Wired; 8 August 2024)

* This system can sort real pictures from AI fakes — why aren’t platforms using it? (The Verge; 21 August 2024)

* The AI photo editing era is here, and it’s every person for themselves (The Verge; 19 August 2024)

* OpenAI and Anthropic will share their models with the US government (The Verge; 29 August 2024)

* New AI tool: NoteGPT

* Microsoft’s Recall AI feature won’t be available for Windows testers until October (The Verge; 21 August 2024)

* Google Keep rolling out AI-powered ‘Help me create a list’ on Android (9 TO 5 Google; 22 August 2024)

* Google Gemini Now Accessible From Chrome Address Bar (Search Engine Journal; 29 August 2024)

* Arizona State University personalizes learning and advances research with ChatGPT (Open AI)

* Threads deepens its ties to the open social web, aka the ‘fediverse’ (TechCrunch, 28 Aug 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 334 Considering AI Regulation

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 18:11:51 GMT

Welcome to episode 334 (“Considering AI Regulation”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 29, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the rapidly evolving world of AI, including the implications of California's sweeping AI safety legislation and the broader challenges of algorithmic accountability. Discussions spanned the role of AI in education, emerging AI-powered tools like Google’s Gemini, and the sustainability challenges posed by large-scale AI systems. They also touched on Apple’s upcoming product announcements, Tumblr’s migration to WordPress, and YouTube’s rise as the top podcast platform. The ethical, social, and technological dimensions of these developments provided a rich tapestry of insights. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 333 Billions Breached

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 02:27:29 GMT

Check out our Episode 333 from August 21, 2024! Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* How AI’s booms and busts are a distraction (Vox; 17 August 2024)

* Elon Musk's AI Image Generator Is a Deepfaker's Dream (LifeHacker; 15 August 2024)

* Flux Tools by Black Forest Labs (from Huggingface)

* Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why. (MIT Technology Review Podcast, 7 Aug 2024)

* Hackers leak 2.7 billion data records with Social Security numbers (Bleeping Computer; 11 August 2024)

* Massive data leak may include the personal data of every person in the US, UK, and Canada (9to5Mac, 13 Aug 2025)

* Forget Apple, the biggest loser in the Google search ruling could be Mozilla and its Firefox web browser (Fortune; 5 August 2024)

* Google Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL review: AI all over the place (The Verge; 21 August 2024)

* Google’s AI ‘Reimagine’ tool helped us add wrecks, disasters, and corpses to our photos (The Verge; 21 August 2024)

* Google Releases Powerful AI Image Generator You Can Use for Free (PetaPixel, 14 Aug 2024)

* US Navy Eyes Adopting SpaceX's Starlink Across Its Fleet (PC Magazine; 21 August 2024)

* Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Updates on Jason’s AI Local Models AnythingLLM - Ollama - LM Studio

* Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Learning Journal Lesson and https://usafacts.org/

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Microsoft’s AI Can Be Turned Into an Automated Phishing Machine (Wired; 8 August 2024)

* This system can sort real pictures from AI fakes — why aren’t platforms using it? (The Verge; 21 August 2024)

* The AI photo editing era is here, and it’s every person for themselves (The Verge; 19 August 2024)

* Elon Musk’s AI photo tool is generating realistic, fake images of Trump, Harris and Biden (CNN; 15 August 2024)

* NoteGPT - YouTube Video Summarizer, PDF Summary, PPT Summary, Image Summaries, and more. Create PPTs, Mindmaps, and Notes with NoteGPT AI. Improve your learning efficiency by 10x.

* Google threatened tech influencers unless they ‘preferred’ the Pixel (The Verge; 16 August 2024)

* Microsoft’s Recall AI feature won’t be available for Windows testers until October (The Verge; 21 August 2024)

* ChatGPT makes Siri more intelligent in iOS 18: Here’s how (9 to 5 Mac; 21 August 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 333 Billions Breached

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 02:25:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 333 (“Billions Breached”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 21, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed the alarming implications of recent massive data breaches, including the exposure of billions of personal records worldwide. They explored the broader consequences of these breaches on privacy, cybersecurity, and digital trust. The hosts also examined the ethical challenges of generative AI, the latest advancements in Google’s Pixel devices, and SpaceX’s Starlink integration with the US Navy. “Geeks of the Week” included practical tools like AI-driven local models and a creative journaling resource. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 332 AI and CyberThreats

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 02:55:08 GMT

Check out our Episode 332 from August 7, 2024! Here are all the links we discussed in the show:

* A neurological disease stole Rep. Jennifer Wexton's voice. AI helped her get it back. (NPR, 25 Jul 2024)

* Human Reader (Chrome extension from ElevenLabs)

* OpenAI Unleashes 'Advanced Voice Mode' Following ScarJo Controversy (PC Mag; 30 July 2024)

* OpenAI co-founder Schulman leaves for Anthropic, Brockman takes extended leave (TechCrunch; 5 August 2024)

* The SOS satellite calling feature on Apple’s latest iPhones can be literally life-saving: B.C. search and rescue group saves hikers stranded on a glacier from wildfire (CBC, 28 Jul 2024)

* ‘You are a helpful mail assistant,’ and other Apple Intelligence instructions (The Verge; 5 August 2024)

* Apple's AI Features Rollout Will Miss Upcoming iPhone Software Overhaul (Bloomburg; 28 July 2024) - paywall free version

* Apple leads tech rout after Berkshire Hathaway sells more than half of its stake (Business Outside, 5 Aug 2024)

* Now that Google is a monopolist, what’s next? (Verge, 6 Aug 2024)

* Jason: ChatGPT Prompt Optimizer

* Wes: New media literacy lesson: Influencers - Adobe Podcast - Descript

Here are the links which made our show notes Google Doc, but we didn’t have time to discuss:

* Bing’s AI redesign shoves the usual list of search results to the side (THe Verge; 24 July 2024)

* Google Researchers Publish Paper About How Ai Is Ruining The Internet (The Byte; 4 July 2024)

* Artificial intelligence isn’t a good argument for basic income (Vox; 22 July 2024)

* The AI bubble has burst. Here's how we know (Mashable, 6 Aug 2024)

* OpenAI tempers expectations with less bombastic, GPT-5-less DevDay this fall (TechCrunch; 5 August 2024)

* OpenAI Seems Like It's Imploding! (Matt Wolfe; 6 August 2024)

* OpenAI says it’s taking a ‘deliberate approach’ to releasing tools that can detect writing from ChatGPT (TechCrunch; 4 August 2024)

* Google pulls Olympics AI ad after backlash (WaOi; 1 August 2024)

* Everyone Is Judging AI by These Tests. But Experts Say They’re Close to Meaningless (The Markup; 17 July 2024)

* Meta's AI Studio Can Create a Copy of Your Favorite Influencer. Here's Why That Matters (CNet; 30 July 2024)

* What do people really ask chatbots? It’s a lot of sex and homework (Washington Post, 4 Aug 2024) - paywall free Archive.today link

* Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why. (MIT Technology Review, 4 March 2024) - audio version available

* AI music startup Suno claims training model on copyrighted music is ‘fair use’ (Techcrunch, 1 Aug 2024)

* YouTuber files class action suit over OpenAI’s scrape of creators’ transcripts (Tech Crunch; 5 August 2024)

* Automattic launches AI writing tool that aims to make WordPress blogs more readable and succinct (TechCrunch; 7 August 2024)

* Apple to Adopt Voluntary AI Safeguards Established by Biden (Bloomberg; 26 July 2024) AltLink

* 3 new Chrome AI features for even more helpful browsing (Google Blog; 1 August 2024)

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EdTechSR Ep 332 AI and CyberThreats

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 02:43:57 GMT

Welcome to episode 332 (“AI and Cyber Threats”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 7, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the latest advancements in AI technologies, discussing their ethical implications and potential in educational settings. They examined pressing cybersecurity challenges, highlighting infrastructure vulnerabilities and proactive measures for resilience. The conversation also covered updates on digital privacy policies and regulatory shifts, with a focus on their impact on educators and students. Critical topics like media literacy and the ethical dilemmas posed by generative AI rounded out the episode, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful engagement in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdTechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All show notes are available at edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 331 CrowdStrike Crisis Impact

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 18:48:05 GMT

Welcome to episode 331 (“CrowdStrike Crisis Impact”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 24, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) covered an array of pressing issues in tech and education. They delved into the recent widespread disruption caused by a CrowdStrike security update, which affected numerous organizations, including airlines and medical facilities, sparking discussions on cybersecurity vulnerability, dependency on digital infrastructure, and the essential preparations individuals and organizations should make. On the legislative front, they reviewed judicial blocks on age-verification laws for social media in Mississippi, examining the implications for digital privacy, parental control, and student safety. The hosts also discussed AI in education, with updates on emerging AI models from Meta and Mistral, the rise of open-source options, and considerations for classroom integration. The ethical considerations surrounding generative AI and the risk of “lazy learning” with AI-assisted assignments were hot topics, leading to a conversation about critical engagement, media literacy, and the role of assignments in fostering genuine learning. "Geeks of the Week" included Wes's discovery of Spoutible, a Twitter alternative focused on safety, and his experiences using AI to troubleshoot coding projects with MakeCode Arcade. Jason shared LocalSend, an open-source cross-platform file-sharing app for Android and iOS, providing an alternative to AirDrop. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using https://notegpt.io/youtube-transcript-generator and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 330 AI Summer Surge

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 13:38:14 GMT

Welcome to episode 330 (“AI Summer Surge”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 18, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed a variety of topics with a focus on artificial intelligence and its broader implications. Key discussions included the increasing dominance of AI in various sectors, the ethical challenges surrounding AI usage, and the impact of AI on social media and disinformation. The hosts also touched on the significance of AI vision tools and their practical applications, from personal use cases to educational settings. The episode covered the evolving landscape of social media algorithms and their effects on user engagement and information dissemination. Dr. Fryer shared his personal experiences with algorithmic bans on social media platforms and the importance of computational thinking in education. The conversation also highlighted the latest updates from major tech companies, including Microsoft’s changes in Windows updates and Apple’s advancements in iOS 18. “Geeks of the Week” included "Claude AI" and "Chad GPT Vision Tools" (from Jason) and "Ideogram AI Visuals" and "Perplexity Answer Engine" (from Wes). Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube via StreamYard.com. We created our episode show art with Ideogram.ai. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 329 Apple's AI Move

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 18:19:27 GMT

Welcome to episode 329 (“Apple's AI Move”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 26, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed a variety of technology topics through an educational lens. Key discussions included Apple’s recent advancements in AI, their strategic decisions regarding AI integration, and the implications for educational technology. The episode also covered the ongoing challenges with tech privacy, the evolving digital divide among students regarding access to AI tools, and innovative applications of AI in social media. "Geeks of the Week" included Jason’s recommendation of Notion, a comprehensive note-taking and organization app, and Wes's highlight of a family audio preservation project using digitized tapes from 1972. Our show was live-streamed and archived on YouTube Live via StreamYard.com.(Facebook changed their live streaming policies, so unfortunately we can't live stream there until we get at least 100 likes on our Facebook page!) Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 328 AI Copyright Clash

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 17:27:37 GMT

Welcome to episode 328 (“AI Copyright Clash”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 5, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed a variety of pressing topics in the realm of educational technology. Key discussions included the controversy surrounding AI-generated voices and copyright, highlighted by the recent Scarlett Johansson incident with OpenAI. They delved into the implications of AI ethics, focusing on the balance between technological advancements and ethical considerations in education. The hosts also explored the potential and challenges of AI companions, reflecting on how these technologies might shape future interactions and relationships. Additionally, they discussed practical strategies for integrating AI tools into educational settings, emphasizing the importance of responsible usage and the evolving landscape of AI legislation. “Geeks of the Week” included Fireflies.ai, an advanced AI meeting notetaker recommended by Jason, and Google’s Gemini Prompting Guide 101, highlighted by Wes as a valuable resource for effective AI prompts. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 327 AI Search Evolution

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 14:42:02 GMT

Welcome to episode 327 (“AI Search Evolution”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 22, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed various topics, beginning with Jason's recent trip to Japan, where he visited Hiroshima and experienced some unique weather patterns. The conversation quickly transitioned to an in-depth look at current technology news and its implications for education. Key discussions included the return of controversial figures to social media platforms, the impact of fractured social media ecosystems on communication and professional development, and the potential and challenges of federated social media platforms like Mastodon. The hosts emphasized the importance of educators exploring and understanding these evolving platforms to better navigate the digital landscape. The episode also highlighted significant updates from Google I/O and Microsoft, focusing on their AI advancements and new product announcements. Jason and Wes analyzed Google's move to integrate AI into search results, comparing it to science fiction-like interactions and pondering its future implications for advertising, media, and user behavior. They also delved into Microsoft's controversial "Recall" feature, which captures screenshots of users' screens every few seconds, raising substantial privacy and security concerns. The hosts wrapped up with their "Geeks of the Week" segment. Jason recommended the Logitech Options+ software for enhancing mouse functionality with AI features, while Wes shared a personal throwback by showcasing a 1978 remix of Star Wars and a practical video on managing email effectively for a productive digital life. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 326: Live from Japan!

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 29 May 2024 00:13:44 GMT

Welcome to episode 326 (“Live From Japan!”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 8, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) joined live from Kyoto, Japan, and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) joined from Charlotte, North Carolina. They discussed a variety of topics including Jason's travel experiences in Japan, the latest Apple product updates, and the significance of privacy and security in technology. Key discussions included: Jason's culinary adventures in Japan and observations on the strong dollar's impact on travel costs. The latest updates to Apple’s iPads, with a focus on their implications for education and the mixed reactions from the tech community. The importance of multi-factor authentication highlighted by a major healthcare cyber attack due to its absence. The role of debate in developing critical thinking skills in an AI-dominated world. Media literacy and the new challenges posed by sophisticated propaganda and misinformation campaigns.
"Geeks of the Week" included Google’s free webinar series "Generative AI for Teachers" (from Wes), and Amazon Prime’s series "Fallout" based on the popular video game (from Jason). Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 325: Privacy and TikTok Ban

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 04 May 2024 16:20:34 GMT

Welcome to episode 235 ("Privacy and TikTok Ban") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 24, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer delve into a variety of technology and educational topics. They discuss Dr. Neiffer's upcoming trip to Japan, providing insights into the extensive planning required for such an adventure. The conversation quickly transitions to pressing issues in tech and education, notably the recent U.S. legislation potentially affecting TikTok. This move by Congress, framed as a national security issue, opens broader debates on data privacy and the influence of social media on public opinion. The episode also covers the significant impact of artificial intelligence on content creation and the ethical implications of AI technologies. Updates from tech giants like Google and Apple are discussed, highlighting upcoming events and product enhancements that could influence educational practices. "Geeks of the Week" includes personal tech recommendations and educational resources, emphasizing tools that effectively integrate technology into educational settings. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 324: Deep Dives into Disinformation

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 00:58:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 324 (“Deep Dives in Disinformation”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 17, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer discussed a variety of important topics in educational technology and AI's impact on education, from San Diego, California and Charlotte, North Carolina respectively. Jason opened the episode by sharing his experiences at the ASU + GSV conference, which brought together leaders in education and technology. The discussions at the conference focused heavily on the integration of AI in educational settings and the ethical implications of new technologies. Wes and Jason then delved into the pressing issue of Kremlin-backed actors spreading disinformation through sophisticated AI tools. They discussed the evolution of disinformation tactics and the crucial role of media literacy in combating these threats. The co-hosts explored various other technological updates, including new developments from Google and Microsoft, emphasizing the educational potentials and challenges of these innovations. They also addressed the need for thoughtful integration of AI tools in education, to enhance learning without compromising ethical standards. "Geeks of the Week" featured valuable tools and resources for educators. Among these, Jason highlighted an AI-powered music creation tool, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize educational content delivery. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 323: Security Breaches Unfold

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 14:49:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 323 ("Security Breaches Unfold") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 3, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (AIcentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discuss significant security breaches and vulnerabilities that have surfaced across various platforms, impacting millions from AT&T customers to young public school students. The episode also explores the latest in generative AI with insights from recent collaborations between Amazon and Anthropic, and the ethical quandaries faced by AI researchers. From discussing the ease of phishing attacks targeting Apple users to the potential educational transformations by generative AI as viewed by MIT, the conversation highlights critical tech and education intersections. ‘Geeks of the Week’ includes innovative educational tools and insights into how AI-generated content is shaping digital interactions. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 322: Openness Challenges Authoritarianism

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 21:29:02 GMT

Welcome to episode 322 ("Openness Challenges Authoritarianism") of the EdTech Situation Room from March 6, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer navigated through the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, education, and policy. The episode offered in-depth discussions on the implications of new AI developments, with a particular focus on Google's AI challenges and Microsoft's latest endeavors in integrating AI into Windows. The conversation also touched on Apple's strategic moves in AI and the broader impact of AI on educational practices and cybersecurity. Amid these discussions, the show highlighted the importance of open-source platforms in combating authoritarian regimes, as exemplified by Taiwan's digital transformation under the leadership of its Digital Minister, Audrey Tang. The episode underscored the power of openness and transparency in fostering trust and democracy in the digital age. "Geeks of the Week" included insights into Stephen Johnson's collaboration with Google on the Notebook LM project, showcasing the potential of AI in enhancing writing and creative processes. Additionally, the EFF's podcast episode on "Open Source Beats Authoritarianism" was spotlighted, offering listeners a glimpse into Taiwan's successful use of open-source principles to revolutionize government transparency and citizen engagement. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 321: AI Integration Insights

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 22:58:41 GMT

Welcome to episode 321 (“AI Integration Insights”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 6, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and its profound implications for education and technology. Amidst the scenic backdrop of the NCTIES conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the anticipation of spring break, the co-hosts delved into pressing topics that captivate the attention of educators and tech enthusiasts alike. The conversation kicked off with insights into the significance of AI integration in educational settings, reflecting on how these technologies are reshaping teaching, learning, and professional development. The co-hosts examined the latest developments in AI legislation, highlighting its impact on educational technology and policy. The discussion ventured into the realm of digital privacy, with a focus on recent executive orders aimed at curbing the sale of personal data to foreign entities, underscoring the ongoing challenges and ethical considerations surrounding data privacy and security. A highlight of the episode was the exploration of innovative AI tools and platforms, offering a glimpse into the future of education and the potential of AI to enhance learning experiences. Dr. Neiffer shared his experiences with AI integration in the Montana Digital Academy, while Dr. Fryer provided insights from his role as a middle school media literacy and STEM teacher. In light of the NCTIES 2024 conference, the co-hosts discussed the importance of collaborative professional development and the exchange of ideas among educators. The episode also touched on broader implications of AI on educational practices, the dynamics of digital education, and the role of technology in addressing contemporary challenges in the education sector. "Geeks of the Week" included notable mentions of the latest AI-driven educational tools and resources, offering valuable insights for educators aiming to leverage technology in enhancing learning environments. However, the specific "Geeks of the Week" links from this episode are not provided here. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Facebook, Mastodon and Substack, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 320 Privacy and Platform Shifts

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 21:07:09 GMT

Welcome to episode 320 ("Privacy and Platform Shifts") of the EdTech Situation Room from February 21, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer, joining from their diverse locales of Montana and North Carolina, dove into a rich dialogue exploring the evolving landscape of digital privacy, the shift in platforms due to new technological integrations, and the profound implications for educators and learners. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the co-hosts unpacked the potential of AI in revolutionizing not just educational practices but also the broader societal interactions, drawing attention to the pressing issues of digital droughts affecting agricultural economies and the potential for wildfire risks. The discussion ventured into the realms of policy, with insights into legislation aimed at protecting youth online, and the innovative strides in virtual reality, highlighting the quest for immersive learning environments. As digital citizenship continues to be a pivotal theme, Fryer and Neiffer emphasized the importance of navigating the complexities of tech integration with foresight and ethical consideration. "Geeks of the Week" included an exploration of perplexity AI as a tool for enhancing research and the groundbreaking developments in virtual reality, pointing towards a future where education transcends traditional boundaries. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, subscribe to us on Substack, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 319 Tech Titans Testify

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 19:29:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 319 ("Tech Titans Testify") of the EdTech Situation Room from January 31, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) delved into a variety of current topics at the intersection of technology, education, and policy. Discussions kicked off with an exploration of the unusual weather patterns affecting the United States, including an unprecedented heatwave followed by a forecast of more snow, showcasing the bizarre weather phenomena exacerbated by climate change. The conversation quickly pivoted to pressing cybersecurity concerns, highlighting FBI warnings about potential Chinese cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure. The episode also covered the testimony of tech CEOs before Congress, where topics ranged from social media's impact on youth to digital privacy challenges and the responsibilities of tech companies in moderating content. In a lighter vein, Dr. Fryer shared exciting updates from the Webb Space Telescope, offering a glimpse into the universe's marvels and the scientific community's latest discoveries. The episode further discussed the rise of artificial intelligence, its implications for education and security, and the innovative uses of AI in creating new educational content and tools. Reflecting on the digital landscape, the hosts touched upon the evolving role of smart speakers and the potential shifts in browser technologies, pointing to a future where technology is increasingly integrated into our daily lives and learning environments. "Geeks of the Week" included a nod to the Hardfork podcast for its insightful analysis of media and journalism's digital transformation and the Voices of DARPA podcast, shedding light on defense research projects that could influence future educational technologies. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 318 Deepfake Democratic Threats

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:55:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 318 (“Deepfake Democratic Threats”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 24, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) on a comprehensive exploration of the latest developments in artificial intelligence, copyright laws, and the impact of technology in education and society at large. The conversation kicked off with a deep dive into Meta's investment in Nvidia AI chips, underscoring Mark Zuckerberg's commitment to bolstering AI capabilities with billions of dollars. This move signals a significant shift towards more advanced AI integrations across various platforms and services. In the realm of AI and intellectual property, the hosts discussed the new certificates for copyright-compliant AI, highlighting the challenges and controversies surrounding AI-generated content and its compliance with copyright laws. Despite these efforts, notable tools like ChatGPT have faced scrutiny for potential copyright issues. A concerning trend in the misuse of AI technology was addressed through the discussion of a fake Joe Biden robocall, which misled voters in New Hampshire. This incident illustrates the growing problem of deepfake technologies and their potential to disrupt democratic processes. The hosts also delved into the legal and ethical dimensions of AI, discussing perspectives on whether training generative AI models on copyrighted works constitutes fair use. This topic sparked a debate on the future of intellectual property in an AI-dominated landscape. From an economic viewpoint, a MIT study shed light on the limitations of job automation by AI, suggesting that only a fraction of tasks involving vision are economically viable for AI automation. This finding prompts a reevaluation of AI's impact on the workforce and the need for a balanced approach to integrating these technologies. On the technological front, updates to Google Chrome and ChromeOS were discussed, including new generative AI features and enhancements aimed at improving user productivity and focus. The hosts also touched on Google’s latest AI video generator, Lumiere, capable of creating whimsical scenarios featuring cute animals, showcasing the lighter side of AI advancements. Apple's recent developments were a hot topic, with discussions on the App Store rule changes, the sale of Vision Pro headsets, and innovative features like Stolen Device Protection to safeguard iPhones against theft. The conversation also highlighted Apple's plans to integrate generative AI into iPhones, emphasizing the company's strategic direction towards embracing AI technology. In education, the release of Microsoft's AI-powered reading tutor as a free resource marked a significant milestone in leveraging AI to enhance learning experiences. The update to the National Ed-Tech Plan, its first since 2017, was praised for its forward-looking vision in integrating technology into education. Finally, the hosts reflected on the dire consequences of accessing forbidden content in North Korea, as highlighted in a BBC report, and the vulnerabilities of cash apps in facilitating theft, underscoring the broader societal implications of technology adoption and security. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 317 Digital Privacy Predicaments

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 16:29:34 GMT

Welcome to episode 317 ("Digital Privacy Predicaments") of the EdTech Situation Room from January 17, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (AIcentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) delved into pressing issues surrounding digital privacy, the ethical implications of AI in education, and the latest advancements in EdTech tools and platforms. Highlights of the discussion included the evolving landscape of digital privacy laws, innovative uses of AI in the classroom, and the potential impacts of new technology policies on educators and students. The episode also covered key updates from major tech companies and their influence on educational technology. "Geeks of the Week" featured insightful resources and tools beneficial for educators. Although the specific "Geeks of the Week" links from this episode are not provided here, they typically include cutting-edge educational tools, tips, and articles shared by Jason and Wes, contributing to the professional growth of educators and the enhancement of learning environments with technology. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 316 AI Legislative Insights

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 03:55:22 GMT

Welcome to episode 316 (“AI Legislative Insights”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 10, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of topics focusing on the intersection of technology, education, and policy. Key discussions included the latest developments in AI legislation and its impact on educational technology, in-depth analysis of current tech trends, and thoughtful debates on various EdTech policies. The episode also delved into the broader implications of AI on educational practices and the dynamics of digital education. 'Geeks of the Week' included the Everyday AI Podcast, Beeper (software which integrates multiple chat apps) and the AI Resource Guides from EdTech PlayDate CLT. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 315 Debriefing Our AI PlayDate

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 20:56:27 GMT

Welcome to episode 315 (“Debriefing Our AI PlayDate”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 3, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (AIcentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after), along with their special guest, Dr. Heather Kaiser, delved into a variety of thought-provoking topics. Dr. Kaiser, drawing on her experience as an online fifth-grade teacher, shared valuable insights on the effectiveness of Learning Management Systems and strategies for engaging students in virtual classrooms. The conversation then shifted to the burgeoning role of AI in education, exploring innovative AI tools and their potential to revolutionize teaching and learning. Highlighting the gamification of education, Dr. Kaiser shared how she incorporates tools like Classcraft, enhanced by AI technologies, to create immersive and engaging learning experiences. The episode also touched upon the significance of collaborative professional development and the sharing of resources, with a focus on "EdTech PlayDates" as a platform for such interactions. Discussions on emerging technologies brought to light new developments like ARM-based processors in Microsoft devices, Microsoft Co-Pilot, and their implications for education. The co-hosts also addressed pressing issues like the mental health impacts of social media on adolescents, emphasizing the need for regulatory measures and responsible technology usage. To conclude, the "Geeks of the Week" segment featured a variety of tools and resources. Dr. Kaiser recommended Mizu and Snorkel for creating interactive learning experiences, while Dr. Neiffer highlighted Sunno, an AI-powered music creation tool. This episode offers a comprehensive look at the intersection of AI, technology, and education, providing valuable insights for educators navigating the digital landscape. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 314 Tech Giants' AI Race

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 05:25:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 314 (“Tech Giants' AI Race”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 20, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed the rapid advancements and implications of AI technologies, particularly the intensifying competition among tech giants in the AI space. The episode delved into the latest developments in AI-powered tools and services, exploring how these innovations are reshaping the landscape of information access, content creation, and digital interaction. Additionally, the conversation touched on the ethical and societal challenges posed by these technologies, including concerns about privacy, misinformation, and the potential for misuse. Amidst these discussions, the show also highlighted the importance of media literacy and critical thinking skills in navigating the increasingly AI-driven world. "Geeks of the Week" included the Vivaldi web browser, "Seven Things We Learned Analyzing 515 Million Wordles" by the New York Times, and Vanity Fair's " and Inside The New York Times’ Big Bet on Games." Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 313: Navigating AI Regulations

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 17:37:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 313 ("Navigating AI Regulations") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 13, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of topics central to the intersection of technology and education. The conversation highlighted significant developments in artificial intelligence, focusing on the ethical implications and social impact of these advancements. They explored the role of AI in educational contexts and the importance of digital literacy, especially for younger audiences. The episode delved into the latest technological innovations, particularly those in AI and related fields. Neiffer and Fryer also discussed the critical aspects of policy and regulation surrounding AI, addressing new laws and their potential impact on both education and society at large. The influence and role of social media platforms in education were scrutinized, underlining the need for effective digital literacy and safety practices. In addition to these discussions, "Geeks of the Week" included the DotSocial Podcast by Mike McCue, VCam for Mac (Beta), and a post about "Using LLMs locally on iPad or iPhone." Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 312: A Very Techy Holiday

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 16:52:47 GMT

Welcome to episode 312 ("A Very Techy Holiday") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 6, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) dived into their annual holiday gift guide, offering a wealth of suggestions for tech enthusiasts. The hosts explored a variety of categories, including family memories, cooking, meat smoking, tech gadgets for both Apple and non-Apple users, auto-related technology, and kitchy nerdy items. They shared personal insights and recommendations, making it easier for listeners to pick the perfect tech gifts. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of preserving oral history and family memories, providing tips and tools for capturing these invaluable stories. "Geeks of the Week" included ClipDrop and Wes' Social Media Text Prepper on GitHub. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 311 AI's Evolving Landscape

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 16:07:27 GMT

Welcome to episode 311 (“AI's Evolving Landscape”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 29, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) explored a range of topics primarily centered around the evolving world of artificial intelligence. Key discussions included the latest advancements in AI and their implications for both education and broader societal contexts. The episode delved into the ethical considerations of AI deployment, particularly focusing on transparency and ethical AI use. An interesting segment covered how AI is revolutionizing traditional sectors, like weather forecasting, providing more accurate and timely predictions. Additionally, the conversation turned to practical applications of AI in everyday life, such as the development of AI-powered tools for crafting more effective emails. The hosts also discussed the importance of local AI models and their potential to offer customized solutions tailored to specific regional needs and contexts. In the “Geeks of the Week” segment, Dr. Neiffer and Dr. Fryer shared their latest tech finds and recommendations, highlighting tools and resources that leverage AI in innovative ways. These included LM Studio (for running Large Language Models locally,) Wes' "Dear John" letter abandoning Twitter at least, and the upcoming MediaEd Forum (online conference) in mid-January 2024. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 310 OpenAI's Educational Impact

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:29:28 GMT

Welcome to episode 310 (“OpenAI's Educational Impact”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 15, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) dived deep into the world of AI, with a special focus on OpenAI's advancements and their implications in education. Jason shared valuable insights from his recent presentation on AI at the National Rural Education National Forum. The episode covered the latest from OpenAI, including ChatGPT-4 Turbo and its fine-tuning programs, and how AI is reshaping educational materials and personalizing learning experiences. They also explored broader topics like social media, digital citizenship, and the ethical dimensions of AI in technology. The episode wrapped up with their personal experiences in experimenting with AI and the "Geeks of the Week" segment, featuring intriguing AI tools and applications. These included Snipd (an AI powered podcastching app) and Wes' "Text Prepper" social media post chunking web app. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 309 AI Integration Explored

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 14:43:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 309 (“AI Integration Explored”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 8, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer discussed a wide range of topics predominantly focused on AI's integration into various aspects of technology and education. They covered the latest developments in Apple technology, including the new M3 chips and Macbook Pros. The conversation also touched upon Microsoft updates, particularly the integration of AI tools directly into Windows 11 and the release of Microsoft co-pilot for business users. In the realm of social media, they discussed the implications of changes in platforms like Twitter and the impact of these changes on historical record and fact-checking. The conversation then shifted to AI's growing influence in education, with discussions about the use of AI tools like Canva for classroom activities, and the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in educational settings. Security and privacy concerns associated with technology were also addressed, including a discussion about air tags being used by police departments to track stolen vehicles. For their "Geeks of the Week" segment, Dr. Fryer highlighted his "Media Literacy Roundup" on his Substack, and Dr. Neiffer shared his rediscovery of NFC tags and their versatile applications. The podcast concluded with reflections on the potential and challenges of AI integration in various domains, emphasizing the need for ongoing exploration and understanding of these rapidly evolving technologies. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 308 Exploring AI in Education

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 17:01:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 308 (“Exploring AI in Education”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 25, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of topics, focusing on the integration and implications of AI in education. Wes Fryer shared insights from his teaching experiences in Matthews, North Carolina, covering web design, computer applications, media literacy, and computer programming. Jason Neiffer talked about his involvement in meetings for the Montana Digital Academy discussing distance learning and AI, emphasizing the necessity for educators to engage with AI tools. Key discussions revolved around AI, including teachers' awareness and concerns, and the need to focus on the learning process with AI in classrooms. The conversation touched upon technology news, AI experiments, and the ethical challenges posed by AI in educational settings. Social media's influence on students and legal issues surrounding Meta were also discussed, along with the time teens spend on social media and the critical role of parental involvement. The episode featured conversations about AI's role in generating academic content, and its integration in tools like Gmail for better email management. The episode concluded with a focus on Google's AI-enhanced search features and the significant challenges AI presents in the educational landscape. "Geeks of the Week" included the Duck Duck Go web browser, Native iOS Voice Dictation in Chrome, Google’s SGE, a "Minecraft Mars Colony" coding project, Wes’ new background video, and Wes’ AI Tips and Tricks Google Doc. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 307: AI-Driven Education Insights

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 307 (“AI-Driven Education Insights”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 11, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of pressing topics in the intersection of technology and education. They delved into the latest developments in AI and its impact on educational practices, with a specific focus on how AI tools are transforming teaching methodologies and student engagement. The episode also covered the recent advancements and the educational applications of the Raspberry Pi 5, emphasizing its significance in the Maker movement and STEM education. Furthermore, the hosts explored the evolving landscape of tech policy, highlighting key legislative changes that affect both educators and students. They provided insights into the shifting paradigms of social media monetization, discussing how these changes influence digital literacy and online behavior among students. The episode also touched upon the advancements in voice technology and the critical aspect of user security, particularly in educational settings. "Geeks of the Week" included Librarian AI: "Discover your next favorite book Powered by AI," a podcast interview with one of Wes' middle school students who moderates commercial livestreams, and support for Mastodon Lists in Flipboard. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 306 Multimodal AI: Ethical Dilemmas

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 21:27:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 306 (“Multimodal AI: Ethical Dilemmas”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 27, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a broad spectrum of topics at the intersection of technology and education. Key discussions included the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly multimodal capabilities of ChatGPT and the ethical concerns surrounding technologies like Clearview AI. Jason Neiffer shared his insights on the iPhone 15 Pro, delving into its features and potential drawbacks. The episode also covered social media developments, notably Twitter's Community Notes feature aimed at mitigating misinformation. Further, the hosts examined the integration of AI in various platforms, such as Google's Bard and Microsoft's recent projects, highlighting the swift progress and expansive potential of AI in everyday applications. Real-world perspectives were provided through Jason's experiences with student groups and Wesley's classroom interactions, offering practical viewpoints on technology usage. The episode wrapped up with the "Geeks of the Week" segment, with Wes sharing the Ezra Klein Show podcast from September 12, 2023, "America’s Top Librarian on the Rise of Book Bans, the Amazon Prime movie, “A Million Miles Away," and Jason sharing the AI website TheresAnAIforThat.com. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 305 USB-C Apple Evolution

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 19:18:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 305 (“USB-C Apple Evolution”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 13, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) delved into a range of exciting and significant topics in the tech world. Key discussions included the ongoing evolution of Apple's products with a special focus on their transition to USB-C, reflecting a major shift in their design philosophy and user interface. The episode also highlighted advancements in AI and its burgeoning role in education, underscoring both the opportunities and challenges it presents to educators and students alike. Further, the hosts explored the broader tech landscape, discussing the current state of technology markets and the challenges facing tech companies as they navigate a period of correction and change. The conversation also ventured into the thrilling realm of space exploration, showcasing the latest developments and missions that continue to push the boundaries of human knowledge and capability. Ethics in technology, particularly regarding AI, formed a crucial part of the discussion, with insights into the latest guidelines and ethical considerations that are shaping the development and deployment of AI technologies. Throughout the episode, Dr. Neiffer and Dr. Fryer provided their expert analysis and perspectives, making complex topics accessible and engaging for their audience. "Geeks of the Week" included "AI Guidelines for Students" (from Wes) and the AI-powered meme generator "www.supermeme.ai" (from Jason.) Join us for this insightful episode as we explore the intersections of technology, education, and society. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 304 Privacy Laws, Please!

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 18:44:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 304 (“Privacy Laws, Please!”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 6, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed exciting developments and educational impacts related to artificial intelligence (AI). They highlighted new AI-powered tools like Claude and Poe that summarize documents and provide customized assistance. Jason explained how these tools have streamlined his workflow, saving him hours of time processing information. The hosts also addressed concerns about generative AI, including the creation of inappropriate content. They analyzed the complications arising from open access to AI models. In addition, Jason and Wes talked about new Google Workspace features involving AI, like automated meeting summaries. They speculated on the future integration of AI into platforms like YouTube and Zoom. Shifting focus, the pair addressed updates involving Apple products, Huawei smartphones, and connected cars and privacy. They emphasized the need for privacy regulations. Discussion also centered on censorship and content moderation on social media platforms. Wrapping up, Jason and Wes shared their “Geeks of the Week,” including a TED talk from Sal Khan about AI in education, a podcast on political impacts of AI, and Khan Academy's AI platform, Khanmigo. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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EdTechSR Ep 303 Happy Birthday Google!

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 17 Sep 2023 18:38:00 GMT

Welcome to Episode 303 (“Happy Birthday Google!”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 30, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of technology topics, analyizing the latest news at the intersection of education and technology. They covered the 25th Birthday of Google, developments in artificial intelligence, including Google's new image generation tool in Google Slides, a watermarking technique from Google to help track AI-generated images, and Ideogram, a powerful new free AI image generation tool Neiffer discovered. Fryer shared insights on military AI, highlighting the US Air Force's plans to use autonomous drone "wingmen" alongside human pilots. The hosts also talked about upcoming Apple announcements, anticipating the likely release of the iPhone 15. They weighed the potential benefits of switching to USB-C charging and the need for schools to adapt. Social media topics included Facebook's staff cuts impacting content moderation, lawsuits against tech companies related to student mental health, and the risks of election misinformation with weakened oversight. In other news, hosts highlighted the new US Cybersecurity Trustmark for IoT devices and Google's plans to integrate AI writing assistance across Chromebooks. For their "Geeks of the Week," Fryer shared a tutorial on using Voice Memos for student oral history projects, and Neiffer highlighted a deal on the MacBook Air M1, praising its speed and value. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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EdTechSR Ep 302 AI Ethics Examined

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 18:33:00 GMT

Welcome to Episode 302 (“AI Ethics Examined”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 23, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a variety of AI-related news stories and developments. They covered an Iowa school district's controversial use of ChatGPT to identify books with sexual content, as well as concerns around the hacking of AI chatbots at the Defcon security conference. The hosts also talked about reconstructing songs from neural data, Dungeons & Dragons banning AI art, and the high costs associated with running AI models like ChatGPT. Jason and Wes further explored Apple's stances on right-to-repair legislation, the company's long history of planning for augmented reality headsets, and regulations in Europe and some US states aimed at curbing social media use and smartphone addiction among teenagers. In addition, they highlighted an upcoming floating workspaces feature in Chrome OS that could benefit classroom workflows. The episode wrapped up with the hosts sharing their "Geeks of the Week," including an AI class offered by Jason's school, using custom instructions to control ChatGPT's verbosity, and a neurotechnology podcast that Wes recommended. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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EdTechSR Ep 301 Adjusting to AI

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 18:27:00 GMT

Welcome to Episode 301 (“Adjusting to AI”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 16, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) reflected on the evolution of social media and technology over the past 15-20 years. Neiffer suggested today's social media allows for curation of information by finding creators to follow. He and Fryer aim to elevate the conversation and share interesting findings as "filters" for each other and listeners. The pair touched on Neiffer's recent presentations about AI to various administrator groups. He suggested policies and ongoing conversations as AI integrates into society and classrooms. Several AI-related articles were discussed. One covered Pearson expecting revenue growth from AI, showing publishers are embracing the technology. The hosts considered how API access allows companies to easily implement AI like ChatGPT. They speculated customized AI could be trusted more when trained on a publisher's proprietary material. An interview between Lawrence Lessig and Tristan Harris highlighted the need for thoughtful AI regulation given its power. Neiffer praised Claude AI for aiming to align with human rights. He recommended "constitutional AI" (like Claude.ai) that explicitly identifies its values for "alignment." Other topics included Google's aggressive AI research, ChatGPT custom instructions, Apple's satellite emergency SOS, the end of free accounts on Wakelet, and a lawsuit by far-right activists over leaked identities. The hosts emphasized the importance of media literacy regarding AI and social media. For his "Geek of the Week," Fryer shared examples of using ChatGPT for practical classroom tasks like spreadsheets and rubrics. Neiffer highlighted an AI tool called Upscale that enhances low resolution images. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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EdTechSR Ep 300 Educators Eye AI Ethics

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 17:03:00 GMT

Welcome to Episode 300 (“Educators Eye AI Ethics”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 2, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) welcomed viewers to the milestone 300th episode of the EdTech Situation Room on August 2, 2023. They discussed technology's rapid advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), and how educators can thoughtfully integrate new tools into the classroom. The hosts reflected on the show's history analyzing educational technology news over 299 prior episodes. They outlined the main topics to be covered, including AI, tech policy, Apple, Google, social media, and their weekly "Geeks of the Week" recommendations. Jason and Wes delved into several Google Chrome updates, examining their implications for users and schools. They critiqued proposed regulations cracking down on tech giants in Canada and Europe as going too far in restricting online linking and personalized ads. However, the hosts agreed greater privacy protections are needed in the U.S. Shifting to AI, the hosts were excited by Claude, Anthropic's new AI chatbot alternative to ChatGPT. They were impressed with Claude's ability to mimic a user's writing style when provided samples and to generate content based on analyzing uploaded PDFs. Jason and Wes discussed AI's potential to transform assessments, emphasizing the need for educators to thoughtfully integrate it into their practice. They also covered several other AI topics, including ethical AI development, using AI in Hollywood productions, and the Worldcoin project linking cryptocurrency to biometric facial/retinal scanning. In closing, Jason and Wes shared their "Geeks of the Week," including downloadable instructions for 6800 Lego kits and the Google Robotics Lab Segment of the July 28th New York Times Hard Fork Podcast. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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EdTechSR Ep 299 Truth Over Trickery

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 16:56:00 GMT

Welcome to Episode 299 (“Truth Over Trickery”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 26, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and generative language models. They reviewed several articles, including concerns that ChatGPT is becoming less functional over time and may be losing capabilities. The hosts explored issues around copyright infringement and intellectual property regarding large language models trained on copyrighted content, sparked by comedian Sarah Silverman's lawsuit against OpenAI. They dove into the implications of AI influencers, election interference threats, and new AI products like Anthropic's Claude model and Google's Notebook LM note-taking tool. Throughout, Jason and Wes emphasized the need for transparency and ethical principles in AI development. They argued homework and assessments may need to be reconsidered in light of generative language models. The hosts also covered social media trends, security issues, and the importance of media literacy. They promoted critical thinking and authentic creation in classrooms. In closing, Jason and Wes shared their "Geeks of the Week," including the historical audio tour app autio.com, the "Airalo E-Sims" product for travelers, an upcoming free AI conference, and several upcoming edtech conferences with option presenter calls: NCCE 2024 and DLAC 2024. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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EdTechSR Ep 298 AI Overlords Loom

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 16:48:00 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTechSR Ep 297 Exciting Apple Announcements

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:04:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 297 (“Exciting Apple Announcements”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 7, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed the latest Apple announcements, including the new 15-inch MacBook Air with impressive features and an affordable price. They also explored the new Mac Pro and Mac Studio models, highlighting their upgradeability and performance capabilities. The unveiling of the Vision Pro, an augmented reality (AR) headset, sparked excitement about its potential applications in various fields. The hosts also touched on Apple's entry into the virtual reality (VR) space, discussing its potential impact on education and other sectors. They further delved into the use of iPads in education, concerns about election misinformation on YouTube, the removal of malicious Chrome extensions, the risks associated with Chromebook extensions, and the challenges surrounding AI technology, particularly chatbots. The importance of media literacy and integrating lessons on AI and social media in classrooms was emphasized. In addition, Jason and Wes discussed the importance of clear rules and guidelines for device use in the classroom. They emphasized the need for effective classroom management in the digital age and suggested involving students in the conversation. They promoted interactive instruction and meaningful engagement with material. Wrapping up the episode, the hosts shared their "Geeks of the Week," which included ChatPDF, Mark Rober's recent commencement address at MIT, and a podcast episode about AI from Wes' North Carolina school. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: This summary was partly generated using summarize.tech.

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EdTechSR Ep 296 Home Media Options

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:12:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 296 (“Home Media Options”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 31, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed different home media options including Chromecast, Apple Homepod, and the WalMart $20 Onn streaming box. and They also delved into the fascinating realm of AI, illustrating its transformative effects on a multitude of sectors like healthcare, finance, entertainment, and transportation. They navigated the complexities of the privacy concerns surrounding AI, highlighting the delicate balance between harnessing the power of AI and safeguarding personal information. The conversation naturally transitioned into the significance of AI in everyday life, demonstrating its influence from movie recommendations on Netflix to shopping suggestions on Amazon. The discourse then shifted to the widespread adoption of AI by businesses, underscoring the productivity and efficiency gains that AI promises by automating routine tasks. As a teaser for the next week, the hosts hinted at an upcoming discussion on how tech titan Apple is navigating the AI landscape. Our show is live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: This summary was partly generated with ChatGPT4 using youtubetranscript.com and the ChatGPT-specific chunking program chatgpt-prompt-splitter.jjdiaz.dev. (Full ChatGPT conversation available. It was actually not inclusive of our non-AI topics, so this final version was substantially edited.)

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EdTechSR Ep 295 Generative AI Tools in Education

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 12:49:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 295 (“Generative AI Tools in Education”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 24, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) offered insights into the intriguing world of AI, generative tools, and educational technology. They delved into the remarkable accessibility and affordability of AI tools, which is empowering individuals and small businesses to innovate at an unprecedented scale. The duo pondered the consequences of AI-generated content, stressing the importance of critical evaluation to discern the veracity of information while recognizing the potential for both positive utilization and nefarious exploitation. The conversation transitioned to the trailblazing capabilities of OpenAI’s GPT-3, with the hosts eagerly awaiting its successor, GPT-4. They showcased OpenAI’s API, which enables developers to harness GPT’s prowess for their applications. The hosts also spotlighted temp-mail.org/en/, a nifty tool to create temporary email addresses to avert unwanted communication. Dr. Neiffer shared that he can be reached via Twitter as “@techsavvyteach,” and also on Blue Sky, while Wes Fryer is accessible at wesfryer.com/after. Furthermore, they announced that the EdTech Situation Room is a weekly podcast, normally airing on Wednesday evenings at 9 PM Eastern Time. Before wrapping up, they urged the audience to immerse themselves in generative AI tools, especially in areas of personal expertise, to unravel their implications. Stay savvy, stay safe, and continue exploring the boundless horizons of educational technology! The show is live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: This summary was generated with ChatGPT4 using the ChatGPT-specific chunking program chatgpt-prompt-splitter.jjdiaz.dev. (Full ChatGPT conversation available.)

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EdTechSR Ep 294 IoT Firmware Updates

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 12:43:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 294 (“IoT Firmware Updates”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 17, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed a broad spectrum of topics concerning technology and its societal implications. They engaged in a detailed discussion on cybersecurity risks associated with outdated firmware in smart home devices and explored the potential privacy concerns triggered by environmental DNA use for identifying individuals. They underscored the necessity for robust regulations for AI models that manipulate or influence behavior and beliefs. Simultaneously, the hosts emphasized the significance of perceiving AI as a tool rather than a “sentient being / entity,” fostering an open atmosphere for dialogue between teachers and students regarding appropriate times and ways to utilize it. They explored the challenges of authenticating AI-generated content and the paramount importance of developing media literacy skills. The hosts highlighted the significance of media literacy in schools and suggested tools and resources like Blue Sky, take-a-screenshot.org, and video2recipe.com as show “Geeks of the Week.” They recommended transcription tools and chatbots for teaching cooking classes and creating recipes, touching upon a novel YouTube summarizer tool capable of writing a summary of any video based on the transcript. The podcast concluded with a cautionary note to parents about monitoring their children’s access to AI chatbots, which could engage in explicit conversations. The hosts touched upon the challenges of navigating technological changes in education and stressed the need for sustained conversations about responsible technology use. (AI Attribution: This podcast / video summary was initially generated with summarize.tech and slightly edited.) The show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 293 AI’s Ethical Implications

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 21 May 2023 12:38:00 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTechSR Ep 292 AirTags for Everyone

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 08 May 2023 12:33:00 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTechSR Ep 291 Refresh That Chromebook

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 May 2023 12:23:22 GMT

Welcome to episode 291 (“Refresh That Chromebook”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 26, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed a variety of topics such as the use of AI tools like ChatGPT in education, AI-powered presentations, and music production, while addressing artists’ rights, online platform dangers for young people, and the importance of device durability. They also covered the recent iPhone 14 incident where its satellite connectivity helped save two stranded individuals and mentioned their “Geek of the Week” features like Scratch day and a new Google search feature. Additionally, the hosts promoted the upcoming Innovation Symposium in Montana, discussed high fees charged by Twitter and Facebook for verification checks, and invited listeners to join their live podcast. The episode encouraged educators and listeners to stay current with technology, carefully consider AI usage, and remain safe and tech-savvy. (AI Attribution: This podcast / video summary was initially generated with summarize.tech and slightly edited.) The show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. This edited video / podcast summary was initially generated by AI using www.summarize.tech. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 290 Generative AI Art

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 May 2023 03:31:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 290 (“Generative AI Art”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 19, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) explored social media, AI, and EdTech, discussing the evolving nature of social media and its increasing reliance on algorithms. They voiced concerns about the autonomy of AI and the risks associated with AI-driven content, urging users to fact-check information. They also examined recent social media legislation in Arkansas and Utah, Netflix discontinuing its DVD service, China’s ban on rare earth metal exports, and a software update for the Curiosity Rover. The duo analyzed a documentary on AI integration in Google’s services, applauding its accessibility and the company’s ethical approach. They emphasized AI’s potential to influence various aspects of life and the importance of societal collaboration in adapting to its implications. (This summary was generated with www.summarize.tech and further edited / refined with ChatGPT 4.0.) The show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. This edited video / podcast summary was initially generated by AI using www.summarize.tech. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 289 Arkansas Social Media

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 03 May 2023 03:22:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 289 (“Arkansas Social Media”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 12, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed the ongoing controversy over Twitter’s labeling (and mis-labeling) of media companies (like NPR) as “state propaganda,” the sweeping minimum age limit for social media use in Arkansas, and a series of AI related podcast episode recommendations. These included Hard Fork, In Machines We Trust, and the Cortex Podcast. The New York Police Department’s announcement about its embrace of robotic police assistants, predicted job impacts for AI, and the prospect of AI moving from generative art creation platforms to world destruction. New subscription fees for Google and ADT home security systems and slumping Apple hardware sales were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included the AI note taking platform Memoable, the Podcast series “The Last Soviet,” the Media Education Lab’s “AI in Education” series, and Amy Webb’s SXSW 2023 Emerging Tech presentation. (No AI generated video summary this week!) The show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. This edited video / podcast summary was initially generated by AI using www.summarize.tech. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 288 Beware IoT Firmware

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 02 May 2023 03:15:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 288 (“Beware IoT Firmware”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 5, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed the potential of AI and chatbots to deliver on the promise of intelligent personal assistants, and the importance of cybersecurity when purchasing Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The conversation addressed the recent TikTok ban in Montana and the importance of protecting privacy and consumer rights, with careful regulation and legislation being necessary. The hosts also discussed media literacy, social media platforms adopting paid subscriptions, and the need to regulate the use of AI to protect privacy. The potential dangers of using AI in research and education and the concerns surrounding the development of artificial general intelligence were also highlighted. Jason and Wes discussed the increasing prevalence of AI and encouraged educators to embrace it in the classroom, citing a recent blog post by Bill Gates and the impressive test scores achieved by chatGPT4. However, they acknowledged that some educators may feel apprehensive towards AI, and suggested conducting surveys or conversations to gauge their sentiments. They also discussed the positive and negative impacts of technology in education and mentioned an upcoming webinar on AI and blended learning. The hosts concluded by sharing their “Geeks of the Week” and reminded listeners to check out their podcast on various platforms. The show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. This edited video / podcast summary was initially generated by AI using www.summarize.tech. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 287 Internet Archive Tragedy

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 03:09:00 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTechSR Ep 286 Mom Isn’t Calling

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 02:53:00 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTechSR Ep 285 Sydney is Scary

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 02:47:00 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTechSR Ep 284 ChatGPT and Truth

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 02:40:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 284 (“ChatGPT and Truth”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 8, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed Microsoft’s announcement of integrating Chat GPT into Bing search engine, AI-generated TV shows and the potential of AI technology, and President Biden’s plans to regulate big tech, particularly in terms of protecting user privacy. We also discussed the Importance of augmented reality and virtual reality in computing and personal experiences with Chrome OS Flex and its benefits. Geeks of the Week included “Zillow and Open Door” on the website Charlotte Voices, Wes’ Podcast Subscriptions, and another travel tip from Jason: Use Google Flights and book DIRECTLY with the airline! AI Use Disclosure: ChatGPT was used to summarize and generate the topics for this show description. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 283 AI Promises and Perils

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 02:33:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 283 (“AI Promises and Perils”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 1, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed topics including Internet censorship / content moderation, TikTok bans, “The Tech Correction,” artificial intelligence, free speech, and media literacy. They also shared their thoughts on the impact of technology on education, safety concerns related to installing apps, and the intersection of technology and performance-based assessments. Additionally, they mentioned some news articles, including Indian police detaining students over a banned BBC Modi documentary, a decades-old law obstructing a nationwide TikTok ban, the U.S. Air Force’s plan to install surveillance tools powered by AI technology in Central Command sites, and recent layoffs in the tech industry. The hosts shared their experiences with using AI tools like GPT-3 and discussed the potential implications of AI-generated content for student learning and assessment. They also mentioned some other articles related to AI, including one on the potential of AI to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnoses and another on the risks of bias in AI decision-making. Overall, the podcast offered a thoughtful and informative discussion on the latest trends and issues in the world of technology and education. (AI Disclosure: This show summary was initially created by ChatGPT. The show title was also influenced by ChatGPT queries.) Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 282 OpenAI Kenyan Laborers?

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 02:20:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 282 (“OpenAI Kenyan Laborers?”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 25, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed AI, Apple news, Google news, Twitter news, media literacy, security, connectivity, miscellaneous tech topics, and “Geeks of the Week.” Specific topics included: OpenAI and Microsoft have announced a multi-billion-dollar partnership extension. The Alperovitch Institute published an article discussing a five-day experience with ChatGPT. Microsoft’s new AI can simulate anyone’s voice with just 3 seconds of audio. The Observer published an article about the AI ethics war and how it will make the content moderation debate look like a picnic. Apple recently released a new full-size HomePod with new features, and has reportedly delayed AR glasses and is putting all hopes on mixed reality headsets. AT&T will pay out a $60 million settlement to thousands of customers, and there is hope that Google won’t kill off “Assistant Memory.” The DOJ is suing Google for ad dominance and wants to break the company up. The Supreme Court is poised to reconsider key tenets of online speech. There has also been an upturn in affordable Chromebooks and Google Docs has become a better listener with more accurate voice typing tools. On a separate note, white nationalist Nick Fuentes is back on Twitter. (end of summary) The previous show summary was generated by ChatGPT by OpenAI. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 281 Stories of Piracy

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 02:02:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 281 (“Stories of Piracy”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 18, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed ChatGPT / Artificial Intelligence / AI, new Apple product news, “tech correction” / social media / Twitter news, and some copyright / licensing / “right to repair” news. A “lessons learned from CyberWar in Ukraine” article was also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included an ABC feature video about students at Wes’ school creating a prosthetic leg for a golden retriever dog, and used USB-C chargers compatible with Mac laptops on eBay. Jason and Wes also shared some stories about music and DVD piracy from the past, giving this episode its title. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 280 LastPass Security Breach

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 04:06:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 280 (“LastPass Security Breach”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 11, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week’s topics include the recent breach of password manager LastPass and what that means for users, as well as security best-practices overall. (Spoiler: Keep using a recommended password manager!) Additional security articles discussed included leaked addresses of millions of Twitter users, and a Supreme Court decision allowing the NSO iPhone hacking (Pegasus spyware) case to move forward. On the Google front, the 2022 Chromebook of the year, enhanced spam prevention in Google Voice, and a review of the “Framework Chromebook” were highlighted and analyzed. Lastly, a variety of articles on the artificial intelligence / AI front were explored. These included articles highlighting the ability of ChatGPT to write malware, a college student’s software program to “detect” AI-authored essays, and others. Geeks of the Week included the search engine Neeva, youtubetranscript.com, and a free Chrome extension which facilitates summarization of YouTube video transcripts using ChatGPT. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR and Mastodon (@edtechsr@mastodon.education) for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 279 AI Transformation Arrives

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 04:05:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 279 (“AI Transformation Arrives”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 4, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This edited summary of our show was (initially) algorithmically generated with ChatGPT. Dr. Jason Neiffer, the executive director of the Montana Digital Academy, was joined by Dr. Wes Fryer to discuss AI news and its impact on education. Dr. Neiffer mentioned that AI technology was evolving quickly, and he had been having conversations with trusted advisors, friends, teachers, and other state Virtual School administrators about it. He also mentioned that some people were concerned about AI replacing the need for homework and the potential end of English class, but he believed that AI technologies like ChatGPT were not the end of English class. He also mentioned an article about the focus on handwriting as an alternative and expressed skepticism about its validity. Dr. Neiffer also mentioned that he had been experimenting with researching other ways to use ChatGPT. Overall, the show discussed the impact of AI and other technology advancements on education and the challenges they presented. In addition to discussing AI and its impact on education, the show also covered other topics in technology and education. Dr. Neiffer and Dr. Fryer discussed Google and Apple updates, the tech correction and social media, and the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) happening in Las Vegas. They also discussed the topic of mobile phones and the trouble they can cause. Geeks of the Week included Texting Story Maker and suggestions for what to do with old technology. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR and Mastodon (@edtechsr@mastodon.education) for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 278 2022 Year in Review

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 03:51:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 278 (“2022 Year in Review”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 29, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. For the first time, the following summary of our show was algorithmically generated with ChatGPT. In this video, the hosts of the EdTech Situation Room, Wes Fryer and Jason Neiffer, discussed the state of education technology in 2022, in their final episode of the year. They discussed the weather conditions in their respective locations, with Dr. Neiffer mentioning the super storm that went through his area, and the negative 27 degrees Fahrenheit temperature he experienced. They also mentioned the wind chill in other parts of the state, which was as low as negative 67 degrees Fahrenheit. They then proceeded to review some of the major headlines in education technology for the year 2022 and discussed where they thought these topics would head in 2023. The hosts also welcomed a new live viewer, Lisa Durff, and mentioned that more information could be found on their website, edtechsr.com. They mentioned that the first headline they would discuss was the continued adoption of online and distance learning due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They discussed the challenges faced by educators and students in this new environment and the need for more support and resources to help with the transition. They also mentioned the potential for more blended learning models in the future, combining in-person and online instruction. The second headline they discussed was the increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in education. They talked about the potential benefits of these technologies, such as personalization and automation of certain tasks, but also raised concerns about privacy and ethics. The third headline they discussed was the growing emphasis on media literacy and digital citizenship in education. They talked about the importance of preparing students to navigate the digital world and the challenges of misinformation and disinformation. Throughout the discussion, the hosts provided their own perspectives and insights on these topics, drawing on their own experiences as educators and experts in the field of education technology. They also invited viewer participation and engagement through the live chat feature. (End of ChatGPT summary.) Geeks of the Week included a Winter Storm Elliott visualization (from Wes) and Jason’s preferred RSS Reader, inoreader.com. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR and Mastodon (@edtechsr@mastodon.education) for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 277 Generative AI Alarms

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 01:56:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 277 (“Generative AI Alarms”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 22, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed artificial intelligence developments and controversies, the ongoing Twitter dumpster fire, TikTok security concerns, and a facial recognition headline from New York which sounds like a headline from China. Rumors of third party iOS app stores coming to Europe soon, and the punishment FTC fine of Epic games were also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included “Hotel Tonight” and #edtechSR tagged posts on Mastodon by Wes. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 276 Tech Gift Ideas

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 03:52:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 276 (“Tech Gift Ideas”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 15, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) shared gift ideas / stocking stuffers for the tech geeks in your life! Recent articles about artificial intelligence / AI’s potent creation and creative capabilities, social media articles about new government TikTok bans, and whether “we need another Twitter” were highlighted. Google, ChromeOS, YouTube, and Google Sheets updates were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included a “Student Media Hall of Fame” and the updated version of XSplitVcam software, which now supports “lower third” messages. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 275 Twitter, Mastodon and AI

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 03:41:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 275 (“Twitter, Mastodon and AI”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 7, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the rise of Mastodon and the demise of Twitter, continuing conversations from episode 274 almost a month ago. My what a lot of technology news happened in the past month! Confusion and problems over Elon Musk’s new “anyone can pay for Twitter verification” policy, the significant uptick in hate speech on Twitter since Musk took over the platform, the importance of social media verification not only among journalists but also for African-American users on “Black Twitter,” were explored. The remarkable capabilities of “Lensa AI ,”to create avatars from uploaded selfie photos, shock and awe among educators over generative AI content creation platforms (summarized well in the Atlantic article, “The College Essay is Dead” were also explored. The episode post image was created using the generative AI platform, “MidJourney.” Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 274 Twitter Dumpster Fire

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 03:26:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 274 (“Twitter Dumpster Fire”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 9, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) talked extensively about the chaos which is Twitter post Elon Musk’s acquisition. LumaFusion video editor on Android, Google Lens capabilities, and Google Photos upgrades (including a video editor) were also discussed. The now legendary myth of Google’s incognito mode, innovative solar panels, the new “Arc” web browser, the proclaimed “death of social media,” and school sanctioned webcam student surveillance were topics rounding out this weeks’ show. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 273 TikTok for News

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 03:04:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 273 (“TikTok for News”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 26, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent Apple hardware and software update announcements, media literacy articles, artificial intelligence powered article / content creation tools and photo manipulation software, and an exciting videoconferencing announcement involving Zoom and Google Meets. The open source announcement of podcasting software Pocketcasts and the end of Lego Mindstorms were additional highlighted articles. Geeks of the Week included Storyblocks, a Michael Wesch conference podcast from 2013, Novel AI, and a free collection of 12,000 vintage cooking recipes. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 272 Metaverse Confusion Likely

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 02:58:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 272 (“Metaverse Confusion Likely”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 12, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the 2022 “Hype Cycle” for educational technology in the United States, the merger of ISTE and ASCD, Tim Cook’s view of the metaverse, the new $1500 VR headset from Meta / Facebook, and Microsoft prescience in creating its tablet computer series. Web apps as a leading attack vector for security attacks, election worker cyber-attacks, and another Alex Jones civil trial judgement were also discussed topics. Geeks of the Week included software enabling MacOS updates for older hardware systems, FEMA’s “Build a Kit” website for emergency preparedness, a $22 portable Chinese-manufactured HAM radio, and a power meter tester for USB-C devices. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 271 Ad-Free Education YouTube

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 02:26:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 271 (“Ad-Free Education YouTube”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 21, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news, YouTube news, Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s financial troubles, Ian Bogost’s case in The Atlantic that “People Aren’t Supposed to Talk This Much,” and a Pentagon’s announced review of “clandestine psychological operations.” Additional topics included Zoom’s new calendar and email tools, iPhone 14 reviews, Canva’s new “visual worksuite,” and bans of AI-generated image content. Geeks of the Week included Visible, Govee smart lights and a reboot of Storychasers. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 270 Ransomware at School

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 02:15:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 270 (“Ransomware at School”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 14, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a recent ransomware incident in Los Angeles schools, iPhone 14 updates announced at Apple’s recent event, at TikTok news including the thread their platform poses to Google and the spread of misinformation via TikTok. Stable Diffusion’s AI generated images were also explored, including reports that China is blocking AI-created political content. Geeks of the Week included “Seat Guru” from Jason and an online safety tip from Wes. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 269 iPhone14 Satellite SOS

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 23:28:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 269 (“iPhone14 Satellite SOS”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 7, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed news articles focusing on the September 2022 Apple Event, Google Chromebook news, privacy / surveillance issues, VR headsets for the US Army, media literacy, and cryptography. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 268 Age of Bossware

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 19:24:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 268 (“Age of Bossware”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 31, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed what to expect from Apple's iPhone 14 event, the ongoing mystery of Apple's "Self Repair Program," and the impracticality of DIY repairing iOS and MacOS. Other topics included Google’s Chrome browser PWA store, the expansion of Google's residential Fiber Internet service, and an announced partnership between T-Mobile and SpaceX for Starlink and 5G cellular service. The questionable Constitutionality of student digital test surveillance, the advent of "bossware" (workplace surveillance software,) and a terrible situation involving a father sending a photo of his young child to a doctor ending up losing all his Google account access forever were subjects rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included OpenCore Legacy Patcher (a free way to run latest MacOS on older Apple hardware,) software to bulk-edit Google Calendar events, NASA Artemis wallpaper, and a great "Land of the GIANTS" podcast episode on "The Facebook Election." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 267 Stealing Your Cookies

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 17:48:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 267 (“Stealing Your Cookies”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 17, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a variety of ways to use another computer or tablet as a second monitor, rumors for Apple's September 7th iPhone 14 event, and "The Trouble with Zooming Forever." Hacker exploits of multi-factor authentication by "stealing your cookies," our present era of "notification hell," and a John Deere tractor hack highlighting "right to repair" issues were also discussed. Additional topics included an improved background blur coming for Google Meet videoconferences, the outcry for more computer science classes in schools, podcast guests paying big bucks to creators, and spotify's addition of podcast creation tools to their app. Geeks of the Week included Free Email Etiquette Posters and a warning (for teachers and parents) about Influencer Andrew Tate. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 266 AI for Excel

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:17:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 266 (“AI for Excel”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 10, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed features in ChromeOS 104 and 105, an AI bot for Excel formulas, and an increased price for Twitter Blue. Google's warrantless video permissions for police, survey results about political violence in the U.S., and GenZ search preferences for TikTok over YouTube were also highlighted topics. Additionally, subscription based cars, and latest Meta's chatbot fail were explored Geeks of the Weeks included Kible and Ad Observatory. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 265 Starlink Mobile Connectivity

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 14:08:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 265 (“Starlink Mobile Connectivity”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 20, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the FCC's authorization of Starlink's system to be used in moving vehicles, along with other connectivity related articles. Hoopla around the TikTok "blackout challenge," calls for TikTok to preserve war crimes videos in Ukraine, advertisements on Netflix, and declining Netflix subscriptions were also highlighted articles and topics. Geeks of the Week included the upcoming Adobe Digital Summit and "the (Mis)Information Game, a social-media simulation." Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 264 AirTags Are Powerful

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 21:10:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 264 (“AirTags Are Powerful”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 6, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news including Google Hangouts problems, eSignatures in Google Docs, and ChromeOS battery improvements. In Apple News, AirTag tracking problems, innovative ways to use AirTags, and the passage of the "Digital Markets Act" in Europe were discussed. Continued security concerns over TikTok and the billions of dollars being spent by schools for "high tech defensive systems" in the wake of mass shootings were topics rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included "Image Candy," a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 263 TikTok is Dangerous

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 20:04:10 GMT

Welcome to episode 263 (“TikTok is Dangerous”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 29, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed security and TikTok, Chromebook / ChromeOS updates, and font/styling updates for Google Forms. Nostalgia for the iPhone's initial sale 15 years ago, the inevitable transition to USB-C for iOS devices, "the curse of our data," and tweaks to Twitter were additional discussion topics this week. Geeks of the Week included Project Hail Mary, reflections on a robotics workshop and the video "PrimeCuber." Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 262 PhotoShop For All

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 20:24:59 GMT

Welcome to episode 262 (“PhotoShop For All”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 15, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Big Tech / the "Tech Correction," Google news, Microsoft news, Apple news, and Adobe news. Geeks of the Week included the NCCE "Crossroads of History Project" and a true "long tail moment" for Wes. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 261 WWDC 2022 News

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 15:43:08 GMT

Welcome to episode 261 (“WWDC 2022 News”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 8, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed social media and "the tech correction" (Big Tech and the prospect of government regulation.) Security, privacy, and new announcements from WWDC 2022 (Apple's WorldWide Developer Conference keynote on June 6, 2022) were also explored, along with some Google news. Geeks of the Week included NeverSSL, the "NASA Firsts!" Kahoot game, and Twitter Data Dash. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 260 Honorlock Cheating Accusations

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 23:17:48 GMT

Welcome to episode 260 (“Honorlock Cheating Accusations”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 1, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Meta/Facebook challenges with user data management and metaverse ("Horizon World") safety. USB-C compatibility on inexpensive Amazon Fire tablets, the "Amazon Fire Toolbox," Elon Musk's push to in-person work at Tesla, and Apple's termination of the much-loved iPod Touch were also discussion topics. Apple iPhone testing with USB-C cables, Google's attempt to merge messaging and communication apps Meet and Duo, and the new ChromeOS feature to warn users when an incompatible USB-C charging cable has been plugged in were discussed. The popularity of The Weather Channel's new "live streaming" app and subscription option, the end of cryptocurrency donations to the WikiMedia Foundation, and some "Cautionary Tales from Cryptoland" were also explored in this week's show. A recent NYT article detailing controversy surrounding cheating accusations originating with the Amazon AI / facial recognition powered remote testing verification service "Honorlock" was also discussed. Geeks of the Week included WiteBoard, an outstanding video about NFTs and CryptoCurrency by Dan Olsen, and a recommended podcast interview with Dan. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 259 Google I/O News

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 24 May 2022 00:10:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 259 (“Google I/O News”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 18, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed news from Google and Google I/O, questions from Elon Musk about fake Twitter accounts, and a crazy story about Michigan high school students "successfully" catfishing their teacher for inappropriate photos. The sale of private details about our online behavior and location tracking data was highlighted, along with a service (Jumbo) that can help change default privacy settings which favor the surveillance capitalists. Geeks of the Week included Google Flights, Google's Site Kit for WordPress, visualization tools for Texas power grid challenges, and the AI-powered "20 questions" online game, Akinator. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 258 Facebook Kills Podcasts

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 14 May 2022 19:52:31 GMT

Welcome to episode 258 (“Facebook Kills Podcasts”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 4, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news, Microsoft news, privacy issues, the end of Facebook / Meta's podcasting platform, Wordle's impact on New York Times subscription rates, TMobile's tempting home connectivity offer, and more! Geeks of the Week included "How to view your internal Chrome OS engagement metrics," a podcast audio recording of Wes' recent ATLIS presentation, "Teaching About Conspiracy Theories And Media Literacy," and Google's Teachable Machine. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 257 Elon Buys Twitter

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:02:59 GMT

Welcome to episode 257 (“Elon Buys Twitter”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 27, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Elon Musk's pending acquisition of Twitter, continued controversy over abusive uses of Apple's AirTags, Apple's new DIY phone repair service, and the updated Apple Studio Display webcam. On the Google Front, the trademark filing for the "Pixel Watch," a new policy to remove search results "that dox you," and the end of Ohio State University's iPad 1:1 program were also discussed. BigTech bills moving through the US Congress, Ukrainian hacks of Russian IT infrastructure, and advanced drones in the Ukraine - Russian war were topics rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included Resilio File Sync, a video of a Chinese done warning on a residential balcony, and a new "Speed of Creativity" podcast. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 256 Library Chromebook Connectivity

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 14:15:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 256 (“Library Chromebook Connectivity”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 13, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed libraries, Chromebooks and Internet hotspots, privacy and the information you're likely agreeing to share with faceless data brokers when you file taxes electronically, and the digital faces of the ongoing Russian-instigated war in Ukraine. New features of Adobe CC Express on Chromebooks were also highlighted, along with the New York Times' new guidelines for journalists on Twitter use. Geeks of the Week included "Canva Design Skills for Students" and a tutorial video on using Google Jamboard with Google Classroom. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 255 Facebook Hates TikTok

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 17:37:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 255 (“Facebook Hates TikTok”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 6, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Twitter news, BigTech / the "Technology Correction," Microsoft news, Google news, some "tales from family IT support," and what we might learn from Flat Earther conspiracy theorists. Geeks of the Week included web-based alternatives to popular software applications and a tutorial video on creating print-on-demand paperback books from BookCreator.com eBooks. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 254 ChromeOS Oh My

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 15:38:35 GMT

Welcome to episode 254 (“ChromeOS Oh My”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 30, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google / ChromeOS news, Microsoft news, Apple news, technology headlines from the ongoing war in Ukraine, BigTech / The "Tech Correction," and one article about Space Force. Geeks of the Week included an excellent Ezra Klein interview with Margaret Atwood, and early bird pricing for NCCE 2022! Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 253 Vimeo Pivots

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 01:14:48 GMT

Welcome to episode 253 (“Vimeo Pivots”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 23, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news, Apple news, changes to Vimeo's business model and pricing tiers, TMobile's cheapest wireless plan, the challenges of being an independent creator / "creative" / creative entrepreneur, and how "WikiPedia gets to define what is true online." Geeks of the Week included a "How to Fix The Internet" podcast episode, a Scratch Studio for Scratch's 15th birthday, and a Wired tutorial on using Google Drive's new search tools. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 252 Clipchamp Beckons

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 21:00:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 252 (“Clipchamp Beckons”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 16, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news, Microsoft news, Ukraine - Russia war news, and one IoT news article. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 251 Ukraine War News

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 19:58:16 GMT

Welcome to episode 251 (“Ukraine War News”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 9, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed announcements at the March 8th Apple Event, technology related news from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and a few Google updates. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 250 Behold ChromeOS Flex

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 12 Mar 2022 22:05:28 GMT

Welcome to episode 250 (“Behold ChromeOS Flex”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 2, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google's ChromeOS Flex, rumors of the upcoming Apple Event March 8th, security / cybersecurity warnings, and software alternatives to Evernote. Additional topics included the Ukraine - Russia War, and linguistic analysis about the identity / identities of those behind QAnon. Geeks of the Week included a recent podcast about science fiction shaping popular culture, "March Mammal Madness," and open registration for NCCE's spring virtual conference. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 249 AirTag Dangers

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 21:22:20 GMT

Welcome to episode 249 (“AirTag Dangers”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 16, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed "the technology correction" (the intersection of "Big Tech" / social media and regulation, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta / Facebook, security, and miscellaneous topics relating to educational technology. Geeks of the Week included "5 Free Online Video Editors Without Watermarks or Other Hidden Limitations," the "Search Smarter by Dorking" resource page by "Exposing the Invisible," and the Google Chrome extension Tag-a-Doc. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 248 Rogan Spotify Kerfuffle

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 11:53:49 GMT

Welcome to episode 248 (“Rogan Spotify Kerfuffle”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 9, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed technology-related news about Microsoft, Apple, The Technology Correction, Google, Security, and Privacy. In this episode, we especially focused on the issues raised with the Joe Rogan and Spotify situation, involving musical artists like Neil Young, who threatened and then removed all their music from Spotify's library in protest of the platform's support for Rogan and disinformation. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn't have time to talk about in this week's show in your email inbox! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 247 Goodbye FLoC

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 01:39:48 GMT

Welcome to episode 247 (“Goodbye FLoC”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 26, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed news about Microsoft, privacy, Google, the "Technology Correction," security, media literacy, and everyone's favorite topic, "miscellaneous." Geeks of the Week included an option to receive updates for "expired Chromebooks" (CloudReady) and the Clarksville free Saturday online conference on January 29, 2022. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 246 Metaverse Rising

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 03:59:37 GMT

Welcome to episode 246 (“Metaverse Rising”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 19, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new Apple rumors about Mac Pro computers and a "portless" iPhone 14. New metaverse patents by WalMart and Meta (the company formerly known as Facebook) as well as the enormous challenges of moderating social media and the emerging metaverse specifically were highlighted. The Democratic bill to address surveillance capitalism by "banning online surveillance advertising" was discussed. A new study showing we're spending a third of of our waking hours looking at our smartphone screens, A really fast ARM processor for Chromebooks, and fast new HP Chromebooks were also highlighted. The health and wellness app "Welltory" and the recent cyberattack against Albuquerque Public Schools were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included Podchaser.com, the Chrome extension OneTab and the amazing "Moonrise Podcast" from the Washington Post. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 245 Roblox as Metaverse

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 04:42:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 245 (“Roblox as Metaverse”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 12, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a recent explosive Guardian article about Roblox and child labor. Rumored Apple glasses which auto-adjust to a user's prescription, Windows 11 post-install tips, a hotel chain which ransomware inspired to drop WindowsOS for ChromeOS, and a Google Street View mafia arrest story were also highlighted article topics. Improvements to Google File Stream for Google Drive, live translated captions in Google Meet, T-Mobile's blocking of iCloud Private Relay, and the overwhelming seriousness of the LOG4J security vulneratibility were topics rounding out this weeks' show. Geeks of the Week included the DD-WRT open source router firmware project, the Milkeshake web design app, and Infinite Painter software. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 244 Join our SubStack

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 03:02:56 GMT

Welcome to episode 244 (“Join our SubStack”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 5, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the case of two California teachers secretly recorded talking about LGBTQ student outreach, who used student laptop monitoring software to identify prospective club members. The DuckDuckGo privacy desktop web browser and Americans' distrust of social media companies were also discussed. On the Google front, the new capability to host up to 500 meeting participants in a Google Meet videoconference for paying Google Workspace customers, changes to the "Your News Update" for the Google Assistant, and the potential dangers (according to the EFF) of the Google Chrome "Manifest V3" user tracking standard were highlighted. UBlock Origin as a free ad-blocking extension for Chrome and FireFox was extolled / recommend, and Google's announced "major improvements" to Android were explored. Lastly, some tales of algorithmic poor choices by automated podcast advertisement selection programs were discussed. Geeks of the week included MapCrunch, James Webb space telescope links, and a good (but troubling) podcast about fascism in America by Vx Conversations. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 243 Bad Idea Alexa

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 05:04:53 GMT

Welcome to episode 243 (“Bad Idea Alexa”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 29, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Alexa sharing a dangerous TikTok challenge, LastPass credential stuffing, and cybersecurity discoveries in 2021. Russia's Google fine, Texas' misguided social media law, and a New York Times editorial challenging us to figure out what to do with our amazingly powerful technology tools were also highlighted articles. Predictions for how Apple may transform the Macbook Air in 2022, a lawsuit from earlier in 2021 challenging Apple's use of the word "buy" instead of "rent" in the iTunes store, and ways our cloud-based infrastructure model is broken were also discussed. A shout out to the Smarter Every Day video, "Is Your Privacy An Illusion? (Taking on Big Tech)" and a brief mention of a complex San Francisco Chronicle article about a secret recording of a teacher presentation were topics rounding out the show. (We'll talk more about the last article next time.) Geeks of the Week included Coffitivity, Xway web design software, and Wes' latest blog post on social media stories, Instagram Reels and Mojo Videos. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. NOTE WE WILL NOT HAVE A SHOW ON DECEMBER 22, but will be back on December 29th. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 242 Birds Are Real

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 22:04:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 242 (“Birds Are Real”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 15, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the Log4j security flaw, bluetooth security risks, Apple AirTags used in harmful ways, changes for LastPass as it becomes an independent company (sold by LogMeIn), Life360’s announced purchase of Tile and the possible privacy implications, and the fascinating (and admittedly false) Gen Z conspiracy theory “Birds Aren’t Real.” Adobe’s launch of “Creative Cloud Express” to replace Adobe Spark Post, Pixlr’s enhancements for stylus users, and a possible solution to solve the rural-urban digital divide were also discussed topics. The security (or insecurity) of a Chromebook post-ChromeOS updates, the “snooping detection” included in ChromeOS 98, and reasons to update to iOS 15.2 were security related articles rounding out this week’s show. Geeks of the Week included the National Geographic “Storytellers Summit” January 26-28, 2022, the Google Canvas web-based drawing platform (free!), and the New YOrk Times Best of 2021 lists. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. NOTE WE WILL NOT HAVE A SHOW ON DECEMBER 22, but will be back on December 29th. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 241 Twitter Upgrade Benefits

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 02:51:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 241 ("Twitter Upgrade Benefits") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 8, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the monetization of user location data (including minors) by Life360 and other companies, Twitter's new "Twitter Blue" upgrade service, and Instagram's forthcoming chronological feed feature. The latest chapter in the Apple vs. Epic legal battle,Microsoft's new Office UI, and a surprising discouragement by MS Windows to users downloading the Chrome browser. The story of Chinese superstar Peng Shuai's courageous accusations of sexual assault against a high ranking government official was discussed, and her subsequent disappearance as part of a government campaign to silence her voice as well as others speaking out for women's rights in China. Google's foray into 3D telepresence and a backstory update on the Missouri governor's mystifying accusation of a journalist as a hacker for viewing public webpage source code were discussed. The release of ChromeOS 96 and the developing "shadow war in space" between the United States, Russia and China were final topics in this week's show. Geeks of the week included a great Scribble Maps tutorial from Richard Byrne, and an excellent Ezra Klein Show podcast about "superforecasters." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 240 Holiday Geek Gifts

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 16:24:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 240 ("Holiday Geek Gifts") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 1, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Eric Langhorst (@elanghorst) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) shared "geek gift" ideas in advance of the 2021 holiday season. From charging devices to tracking tiles, from home office upgrades to security tools, we've got your holiday shopping needs for the geeks in your life covered! Check out our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced products and gift ideas. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe, and have a VERY happy holiday season!

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EdTechSR Ep 239 Debunking Security Myths

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 02:51:34 GMT

Welcome to episode 239 ("Debunking Security Myths") of the EdTech Situation Room from November 17, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the politics of international Facebook criticism, Facebook's role in Ethiopia's nascent civil war, and Facebook's (Meta's) lockdown of internal employee speech and criticism. Some good stories of social media sharing involving WordPress and cooking recipes, the removal of "dislike numbers" on YouTube, and an excellent recent article on "ending WikiPedia source shaming" were also discussed. Spotify's new audiobook acquisition, rampant disinformation on podcasts and YouTube, and Jason's endorsement of the "5 x 5 Podcast Network" were highlighted. Articles on the impact of the global chip shortage on supply chains for Christmas, U.S. critical infrastructure being the target of Iranian hackers, and an outstanding article debunking "security myths" rounded out this weeks' show. Geeks of the Week included Earth View from Google Earth, the CellCase Vintage Retro 3.5mm Telephone Handset iOS Microphone, and the Secure Password Generator website. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe! Note we will NOT have a show (due to Thanksgiving holidays on November 24th!

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EdTechSR Ep 238 Chegg Extortion Revealed

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 23:28:31 GMT

Welcome to episode 238 ("Chegg Extortion Revealed") of the EdTech Situation Room from November 10, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a story of extortion via the "homework help" website Chegg, the freemium future of Notability for iPadOS, and the social media lessons learned because of the (relatively) recent eruption of Kilauea in Hawaii. The benefits of social media powered news reading with Twitter lists, the implications of Facebook's name change to "Meta," YouTube's decision to hide "dislike" video counts, and Google's push for more 2 step verification on accounts were also highlighted. Plummeting Chromebook sales in advance of Black Friday sales, the question of whether a Chromebook with detachable screens are better than iPads, and the broadband provisions of the recently signed infrastructure bill in the US Congress were discussed. The official renaming of Google's smart home initiative as "Google Home," Microsoft's Surface Laptop SE Chromebook competitor, and media literacy challenges thanks to the proliferation of fake local news sites and disinformation campaigns about the COVID19 death toll were the last topics for this show. Geeks of the Week included "Pet Portraits" from Google Arts & Culture and "YouTube Copyright School," which amazingly just takes 4 minutes to attend. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 237 Fixing Social Media

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 01:44:40 GMT

Welcome to episode 237 ("TBA") of the EdTech Situation Room from November 3, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed an amazing Wall Street Journal article featuring 12 Internet and cultural visionaries on "How to Fix Social Media." Other articles on the social media / "tech correction" topic included "Facebook's Lost Generation," Facebook's name change to "Meta," the impact of Zuckerberg's dream to transform the web into a "Ready Player One" VR playground. The financial impact of Apple's iPhone privacy changes, Google's policy to remove under-18 photos from search results, the debut of MacOS Monterey, and reasons you do NOT need the new MacBook Pro were also topics of discussion. The long awaited (for Jason) arrival of MacOS M1 processor native Google Drive for Desktop, the death of iMovie Theater, Google's facilitation of work/life separation on Android devices, and Google Calendar's option to schedule "Focus Time" were also highlighted. The arrival of Adobe PhotoShop on the web for Chromebook users, powerful, web-based image editing tools, and Geeks of the Week including a new NASA astronaut bio video, a "Parent University" slideshow about online influencers, and the "Mindful Schools" website as "geeks of the week" rounded out this weeks' show. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 236 Shame on Canon

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 03:31:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 236 ("Shame on Canon") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 20, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the biggest announcements from Apple's Monday "Unleashed" event, The Apple Music Voice plan, Google's Pixel 6 Event announcements, and the forthcoming launch of Chrome OS 94 with better human sounding voices. Other topics included MacOS' forthcoming update to "Monterey" on October 25th, the Google Assistant's updated code to stand up to profane users, and Canon's distasteful choice to disable all-in-one scanning features for users when they run out of ink. A counter-point to last week's article about a former Pentagon official declaring the US has already lost the AI race with China, the mental and physical health costs of TikTok, and Facebook's concerns about Instagram losing youth marketshare were also discussed. Possibilities for "an effective social media regulator," Facebook's secret blacklist of prohibited people, organizations and topics, Donald Trump's announced "Truth Social" platform, and some miscellaneous articles about drones saving dogs from volcanoes, Russian space snafus and the confused Missouri governor who thinks "view HTML source" is criminal hacking were final article topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included SortMyList.com, a podcast about Charles Babbage by Steven B. Johnson, a whimsical videoconferencing platform in beta (ooo for web) and the New York Times' new invite-only audio app experiment. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 235 TikTok is Huge

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 11:22:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 235 ("TikTok is Huge") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 13, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Epic's ongoing court battles over third party smartphone app payment processors with both Apple and Google, as well as upcoming tech events next week by Apple, Google and Samsung. Options for editing PDF files in a web browser (including on Chromebooks) included a new Acrobat extension from Adobe, the Squid app from the Google Play Store and DocHub. The incredible growth and reach of TikTok (which is somehow slipping under the radar now for would-be Congressional regulators and regulation advocates) was highlighted, along with the alleged futility of US military efforts to develop robust artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities relative to China. Lastly, an article highlighting the Internet ignorance of many U.S. citizens was discussed. Geeks of the Week included an eye opening article by a high school student who successfully prank hacked his school district (and provided a comprehensive analysis for his IT department to use afterward) and the bill cutting service, AskTrim.com. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 234 Regulate Facebook Please

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 21:43:15 GMT

Welcome to episode 234 ("Regulate Facebook Please") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 6, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Microsoft news including how to update to Windows 11 without waiting in line, recommended preparatory steps to take BEFORE upgrading to Windows 11, and positive reviews of the new Surface Pro 8 computer. In Google news, the forthcoming Chromebook launcher with smaller icons and folders, the option to create meeting notes directly connected to a Google Calendar event, and YouTube Germany's suspension of Russia Today's (RT's) misinformation plagued channel, were highlighted. Facebook's mysterious global service outage from this week and the impact of the related WhatsApp's outage on small businesses were also addressed. Several articles summarizing Frances Haugen's testimony this week before Congress about the knowing malicious acts of Facebook to favor profits over safety or ethics were discussed. Google's quest to imagine and invent "the next phase of online search" was the final article discussed in this weeks' show. Geeks of the Week for Wes included the new app Audm for listening to longform audio versions of news articles, the Project N95 website for ordering COVID masks, and Hope Haley's (an 8th grade YouTuber at Dr. Fryer's school) YouTube channel. Jason's Geek of the Week was the TMobile Google Drive Plan, free for subscribers. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 233 Privacy Protection Prescriptions

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 11:25:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 233 ("Privacy Protection Prescriptions") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 29, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple updates to its productivity software suite, iPhone 13 stress tests and reviews, and strategies to avoid a Facebook hack. An important new guide to "resetting privacy controls" on your devices from the Washington Post, the NSA and CIA's behavioral endorsement of ad blockers in our "dangerous" advertising environment, and the inability of anyone to "escape Facebook tracking" today were also discussed. Lithuania's extreme request to people to throw away Huawei (Chinese made) smartphones, the EFF's positive announcement that secure website connections (https) have finally been normalized in all popular web browsers, and a questionable password security website were highlighted topics. Jason's recommendation of the Darknet Diaries podcast, the a data breach in Canada by a vaccine verification app (Portpass), EU warnings to Russia over possible election cyberattacks in Germany, the new Amazon device announcements, and the power of teen influencers on TikTok to disrupt scientific research were articles rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's recent interview on "How AI Shapes Our Human Future" (aka "Misinformation Is About to Get So Much Worse") and the power of "pocket notebooks" (like Field Notes) to boost personal productivity. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 232 Instagram = Teen Poison

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 02:36:32 GMT

Welcome to episode 232 ("Instagram = Teen Poison") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 22, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed exciting features in the new iOS 15, The Wall Street Journal's new series harshly criticizing the behavior and culture of Facebook, "The Facebook Files," and a New York Times article explaining Facebook's new PR effort to avoid apologies and promote positive articles about itself via the Facebook newsfeed algorithm. The toxicity of both Facebook and Instagram to teenage girls, Facebook's claim it hasn't known about fixable flaws in its algorithm, and a new social media law in Texas aimed and preventing censorship and de-platforming (which is likely to be struck down) were also highlighted topics in the show. An outstanding episode on "The Past and Future of Big Tech" by the No Jargon Podcast, a new lawsuit in Turkey criticizing Google for favoring its own review sites in search results, a CNET article summarizing new Surface device announcements from Microsoft were articles rounding out this week's show, and a thought provoking article explaining why everyone should have a PERSONAL laptop to sandbox projects away from employers / enterprise organizations were articles rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included "Affinity Suite" creative software (an alternative to Adobe's offerings) and the U.S. Department of Education's new "Digital Literacy Accelerator" program. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 231 Epic Apple Show

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 11:53:25 GMT

Welcome to episode 231 ("Epic Apple Show") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 16, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed virtually every aspect of the September 14th Apple Event. (Seriously, this is our most egregious Apple fanboi episode to date...) New iPads, new iPad Minis, new iPhones, new Apple Watches and other updates were all highlighted and analyzed. The introductory video to Apple's September 14th event really is stunning and amazing, so if nothing else be share to check that out. Overall the cinematography of these events (this one had more drone shots / footage than ever before) is pretty spectacular. Apple's announcement of an "emergency security update" was discussed on the security front. In addition to the Apple Event, other topics addressed included the court ruling last Friday on the Epic versus Apple lawsuit, which included mixed results that promise to be positive for consumers. In Microsoft news, what to expect from their upcoming September 22nd event was highlighted, along with Microsoft's announcement that users can now go "passwordless" using their second authentication factor exclusively for authentication. The limitations of Spotify as a podcast "podcatcher app" for power users was also explored. Geeks of the Week included "Track My Subs" from Peggy in our chat room, a Media Literacy certification opportunity from PBS, Wes' video and resources for a recent presentation on "Why Care About Privacy and Surveillance Capitalism," and Jason's recommendation to "Download Your Twitter Data." Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 230 Don't Shame WikiPedians

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:22:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 230 ("TBA") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 9, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google's new ChromeOS notetaking web app, Cursive, Microsoft's addition of "Reading" to MS Teams, and Windows 11 CPU requirements for older computers. Apple's upcoming September 14th iPhone event and Twitter powered notification service, a call to stop "source shaming" the use of WikiPedia in academic research, and the regulatory effort in Germany to required 7 years of smartphone operating system updates were highlighted. Also on the Google front, an op-ed advocating for a 'fix' to auto-installs on new Chromebooks, a UK study highlighting the high frequency of extremist views among students in schools, and a report revealing continued problems with AI-powered facial recognition for black men were discussed. Additional topics included the start of "Super Follower Subscriptions" on Twitter, the expected dramatic reduction in price for Starlink Internet connectivity, Starlink's projected expansion of production, and Logitech's new technology to improve security for wireless computer peripherals. Geeks of the Week included the recent Angry Planet podcast episode, "Space: Final Frontier or Billionaires Playground," the web advertising and data harvesting demo site how-i-experience-web-today.com, and the subscription-based iOS / WatchOS app, SleepWatch. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 229 Podcast Platform Agnostics

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 03:07:39 GMT

Welcome to episode 229 ("Podcast Platform Agnostics") of the EdTech Situation Room from August 25, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed back-to-school technology smart buys, tips for Windows 11 users wanting to do a clean install or switch default browsers, and Microsoft's push to Office web apps over Android apps for ChromeOS users. On the Google front, we highlighted the upcoming requirement for 2FA for monetizing YouTube creators, Google Meets new mic echo warning feature, the rather incredible income of YouTube creators over the past 3 years ($30 billion), and the superb recent video from Derek Muller (@veritasium) "Clickbait is Unreasonably Effective." On the Apple front, the launch of the "#MadeOniPad" challenges campaign, and a ridiculously expensive Steve Jobs signed Apple II manual were discussed. The demise of Joe Rogan's podcasting influence (relatively speaking) since he went exclusive on the Spotify platform, the threat of "SIM swaps" on TMobile due to the recently released hack, more on what TMobile customers can and likely should do in response to the hack (including signing up for TMobile's free "Account Takeover Protection Service") were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included a clever YouTube video about Section 230 protections for the tech platforms (mainly Facebook), free streaming of "The Social Dilemma" documentary on YouTube through the end of September, and Common Sense Media Education. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 228 NFT Rock Bargains

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 03:13:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 228 ("NFT Rock Bargains") of the EdTech Situation Room from August 18, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Microsoft "PrintNightmare Ransomware," T-Mobile's confirmed (and large) customer data breach, and the differences between Credit Freezes and Fraud Alerts. An amazing podcast interview with Eswar Prasad about "Why Crypto Matters," a crazy article about free clipart of a cartoon rock becoming a $300K NFT, and Apple's problematic blunders offering paid podcast subscriptions were also discussed. The Facebook Transparency Center's Q2 2021 report, a Yale University research study showing "‘Likes’ and ‘shares’ teach people to express more outrage online," a powerful podcast interview with Roger McNamee on "Holding Tech Accountable," and the unfortunate amplification of anti-vax nurses were highlighted on the social media front. In Google news, Google's forthcoming "hardware campus" and upgrades to Google Meet for multiple co-hosts were discussed. Free availability of Windows11 for download was highlighted. Lastly, Zoom's new "focus mode" which hides classmate videos from each other during a videoconference was both highlighted and criticized. Geeks of the Week included the (free) Chromebook App Hub from Google, and a helpful article on using "your web browser's 'Readier Mode' to minimize distractions." Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 227 Facebook Bad Actor

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 03:14:25 GMT

Welcome to episode 227 ("Facebook Bad Actor") of the EdTech Situation Room from August 11, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Facebook's shutdown of disinformation academic researchers, growing distrust of Facebook as a platform overall, and efforts by Facebook to re-engineer its advertisements to allegedly support more user privacy. The reality that purchased digital movies are really just leased, Microsoft Edge's "Super Duper Secure Mode" (yes, that's the actual title), and AT&T's supply chain fiber woes were also discussed. A recent hack involving $600 million of cryptocurrency and a bipartisan bill targeting Apple and Google app store dominance were articles rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included Chirp Audio Books, a recent @veritasium video on “This is why we can’t have nice things," and the free app EasyRes for MacOS. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 226 Big YouTube EDU Changes

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 17:40:59 GMT

Welcome to episode 226 ("Big YouTube EDU Changes") of the EdTech Situation Room from August 4, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed news articles on Microsoft Office running on Chromebooks, PWAs (progressive web apps), emojis, cloud-based Windows 365 computers for rent, and the near-disaster on the International Space Station involving the new Nauka module from Russia. Problems with M1 MacBook displays, "The Day the Good Internet Died," improvements to Google's native office document editing, and substantial changes to the way YouTube can be used by students under 18 in schools were also highlighted. The security dangers of password autofill in browsers, the reliability of "Have I Been Pwned," the influencer army hired by the White House to battle COVID disinformation, and the battle over remote work at large companies were also topics discussed in this week's show. Several app options for "proving" your COVID vaccine status digitally were highlighted as well. Geeks of the Week included the online flight simulator Geo FS, Wes' presentation for faculty at his school, "Google Classroom August 2021: Updates and Tips," and Wes' recent blog post, "More YouTube Restriction Options for Schools." Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 225 Beware Video Embeds

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 03:16:34 GMT

Welcome to episode 225 ("Beware Video Embeds") of the EdTech Situation Room from July 28, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed media literacy, privacy, changing iOS app icons, Microsoft Edge's latest version, Google news, social media updates from Clubhouse, Twitter and Facebook, and a cautionary tale from a defunct video sharing site. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 224 Stores Watch You

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 16:48:14 GMT

Welcome to episode 224 ("Stores Watch You") of the EdTech Situation Room from July 21, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the extent of retail facial recognition and why it matters, Automattic's acquisition of PocketCasts, the recent FTC ruling supporting the "Right to Repair," and ongoing proposals for "Big Tech Regulation" / "The Tech Correction." Additional topics highlighted included useful iOS apps for sketchnoting, Chromebook advice, improvements in Zoom for ChromeOS, the increased national focus on vaccine disinformation and more. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 223 Windows 11 Underwhelms

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:59:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 223 ("Windows 11 Underwhelms") of the EdTech Situation Room from July 14, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the plethora of proposed "big tech regulations" in the U.S. Congress (our ongoing "tech correction,") the underwhelming and somewhat confusing release of Windows 11 by Microsoft, AI content filtering by TikTok, and some articles about educational technology lessons school leaders should heed after our experiences during COVID with remote and hybrid learning models. Google and ChromeOS news including the release of the desktop version of the Opera browser for Android (and now ChromeOS) in the Google Play Store, and the sad change in Audacity Software (an open source project) into the "surveillance capitalism" fold with user data tracking. Geeks of the Week included SimpleNote by Automattic and a great new video from Veritasium YouTuber (Derek Muller) titled, "The Biggest Myth in Education," focusing on learning styles and the complete LACK of educational research support for this theory. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 222 Ransomware Canary Speaks

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 02:42:41 GMT

Welcome to episode 222 ("Ransomware Canary Speaks") of the EdTech Situation Room from June 9, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed our ongoing computer chip shortage and likely impacts, the FCC-managed $7 billion connectivity fund for U.S. schools, and tech reviews on Lon.TV. Media recommendations from Wes' middle school students, Apple's WWDC 2021 announcements (just a few of them, there were a TON of newly announced features) and Apple's forthcoming AirTag improvements were also highlighted. A clever video of AirTag tracking sent to North Korea, Tim Cook and Elon Musk, Amazon Prime Day June 21-22, the password breach behind the Colonial Pipeline hack, and the FBI Director's Ransomware 9-11 warning / comparison were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included ArcGIS StoryMaps, River Runner, a permanent Minecraft enchantment, and the Digital Learning Annual Conference. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Note we will be on a 4 week summer break starting next week! Our next show will be Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Stay savvy and safe!

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EdTechSR Ep 221 iPad as Laptop NO

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 00:48:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 221 ("iPad as Laptop NO") of the EdTech Situation Room from June 2, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the merits of the iPad as a potential, functional replacement for a MacOS laptop, a wishlist for iPadOS features, the risks of purchasing an Apple Watch Series 3 today, and the forthcoming, speedy Mac Mini. A positive review of the Apple iMac M1 rounded out this week's Apple-related discussions. On the social media front, the abrupt self-termination of Donald Trump's new blog website, Twitter's plans for a subscription service, and ongoing challenges for the SEC posted by Elon Musk's tweets were discussed. The death by buyout of Nuzzel by Twitter was mentioned, and an excellent Twitter thread by Robert G Reeve was reviewed which highlights the alarming (and creepy) ways social media apps and advertising algorithms powered by our modern surveillance state make uncanny content suggestions which cause many to think (falsely!) that "their phones are listening to them." Amazon's plan to share your network with your neighbors was the last topic rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included "The Best MacOS Utility Apps" and a "New Laptop Without Tears" tutorial video. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 220 The Big Lebowski

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 29 May 2021 21:07:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 220 ("The Big Lebowski") of the EdTech Situation Room from May 26, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Jason's increasing resemblance to Jeff Bridges, lots of updates to Google Workspace (formerly known as Google Suite,) Google I/O 2021 updates, and Google's apparent rediscovery of RSS. The less-than-perfect ways people are using password managers, the forthcoming retirement (in 2022) of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, malware on MacOS, and the malware dangers faced by remote workers were also highlighted. Additional Google show topics included the Google Teacher Center and Google Educator Certifications. On the security front, Joe Biden's secret Venmo account was discussed. On the social media / "tech correction" front, a Florida law to punish "politician deplatforming" online, a new Russian law pushing Google to delete "offending" content within 24 hours, and the "empty promise" of Facebook's new feature to "hide likes" were explored. On the hardware front, a recent Verge article evaluating "best student laptops" (which didn't mention Apple laptops, interestingly) and the announcement that USB-C is moving from 100W to 240W were mentioned. Geeks of the Week were in abundant supply this week, including the DLAC 2021 conference, the DigLitCon conference, Canva Pro (free for teachers,) Apple's new privacy ad and wheelofnames.com. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 219 Ransomware Threats Abound

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 18 May 2021 03:31:11 GMT

Welcome to episode 219 ("Ransomware Threats Abound") of the EdTech Situation Room from May 12, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the Emotet botnet takedown, ransomware evolution, and the importance of evolving your own MFA (multi-factor authentication) from SMS / text messaging to a more secure option. Microsoft's abandonment of Windows 10X, rumors about next week's Google I/O event, faster Google Docs on the way, and the death of Nuzzle (at the hands of Twitter, no less) were also highlighted topics. A bizarre social media story involving FaceApp and an older Japanese Twitter user, testimony in an Irish court about Facebook content moderator nightmares, Amy Klobachar's new book to usher in the "Tech Correction," and OneDrive's overdue casting support were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included a recorded webinar for language teachers by Wes, and an NCCE Live session on amazing Minecraft lessons. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 218 Facebook's Doom Looms

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 14 May 2021 01:12:49 GMT

Welcome to episode 218 ("Facebook's Doom Looms") of the EdTech Situation Room from May 5, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the decision of the Facebook Oversight Board to maintain (for now) Donald Trump's ban on the platform, Section 230 and possible tech company regulation by the US Congress, and "the normalization of deviance" on Facebook. Twitter's AI bot flagging 'mean tweets,' Facebook's plea to users to allow life tracking on iOS 14.5, Signal's jarring (and revealing) advertisement campaign on Facebook, and China's efforts to dominate the global electric car market were also discussed. A new CRISPR-challenger for gene editing, a decade old Dell security flaw, AirTags and privacy, and news from the ongoing Apple vs. Epic lawsuit were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included some recommended Star Wars videos on YouTube and Hacker News. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 217 CryptoCurrency is realER

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 03 May 2021 04:23:18 GMT

Welcome to episode 217 ("CryptoCurrency is realER") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 28, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a new Supreme Court test of students' rights to freedom of expression on social media, the dark web marketplace of user data, and Apple's new iOS update (14.5) privacy features. Apple's App Store defense in the Epic Games trial and the potentnial antitrust broo-ha-ah over Apple AirTags were highlighted. In our "miscellaneous" category, meme subject "disaster girl's" NFT payout of almost half a million dollars and an inventive analog-vibe switchboard voice messaging DIY project using Telegram were also highlighted. On the Google front, rumored GoogleIO product updates and announcements, ChromeOS 90 new features, and the momentous performance improvements with the "Tiger Lake" Chromebook chip were discussed. The official announcement that Montana has the worst connectivity in the United States, and the SpaceX victory for lower orbit StarLink sattelite orbits were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included the mindless but apparently addicting game "Doge Miner 2" and MightyDeals.com. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 216 Luvin' Google Ain't Wrong

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 12:13:09 GMT

Welcome to episode 216 ("Luvin' Google Ain't Wrong") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 21, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the impending return of Parler to the Apple App Store, the amazing dynamics of WikiPedia following the January 6th U.S. Capitol Riot, and the tendency of negative political tweets to garner more user attention than others. The important role of Darnella Frazier in documenting the homicide of George Floyd with her smartphone, Apple's redesigned iMacs with Apple silicon chips, upgraded iPad Pros, and newly announced "Air Tags" by Apple at their marketing event this week. The start of "the podcast war" between Apple, Spotify and others reflected in Apple's announced changes to the Apple Podcasts feature of Apple Music, "performance mode" in the Microsoft Edge browser (similar to Chrome 'tab suspender' extensions minimizing browser user of computer memory), and new Chromebooks from Lenovo were also discussed. The potential for adblockers to mess up Google Documents in your browser (hopefully a bug that has now been fixed) and the new "documents" tab in Google Photos were additional Google headlines discussed by Jason and Wes. Geeks of the Week included computer/device reselling websites Swappa and Gazelle, and a Saturday, April 24th free webinar by Wes about innovative teaching strategies for language teachers. Please see our shownotes for links to all these articles and resources! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 215 Advertising is Complicated

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 00:54:56 GMT

Welcome to episode 215 ("Advertising is Complicated") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 14, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google's new advertisement targeting technology initiative, privacy and advertisement-opt out tools, and Google search's new product review prioritization changes. Slowdowns with AMD Ryzen Chromebooks. videoconferencing improvements in Chrome 90, and Google Lens OCR capabilities coming to the desktop were also highlighted. The continued advance of Moore's Law and artificial intelligence, Apple's upcoming "Spring Loaded" event predictions, Tim Cook's "flea market" opinion of Epic Games' lawsuit, and the new FCC speed test app were discussed. The importance of a 'digital will' and 23 year old coder who kept QAnon online were articles rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included a video on selecting a backyard BBQ smoker and the image background removal tool, remove.bg. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 214 Fair Use Victory

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 11:40:08 GMT

Welcome to episode 214 ("Order Chromebooks NOW") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 7, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a copyright/fair use victory for Google and software developers everywhere, Russia and China's plans to host an in-person conference in June to further develop their plans for a joint lunar robotic base, and the departure of LG from the ranks of Android phone hardware manufacturers. Also in Google related news, the announced return of Google I/O (in virtual form) this May, new autosave features in Google Forms for enterprise education users, and a storage extension deadline for Google Workspace users were discussed topics. Apple's forthcoming battery recalibration features in iOS 14.5 (for iPhone 11 and newer devices only,) the mechanics and carbon footprint of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in the art world, and exciting connectivity / infrastructure / digital divide related announcements from T-Mobile and the Biden administration were also highlighted. On the social media front, Twitter's "fleets" feature (announced back in November 2020,) Jack Dorsey's infamous $2.9 million NFT sale, Twitter's flirtation with subscription models, and the challenges posed to federal archival agencies by Twitter's lifetime ban on President Trump's past tweets were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included LineageOS (for older Android handset owners) and a mind-blowing article and podcast from the New York Times and "The Daily" on TikTok influencers and the global cosmetics industry. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 213 Order Chromebooks NOW

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 03:59:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 213 ("Order Chromebooks NOW") of the EdTech Situation Room from March 31, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed remote work post-pandemic, continuing electronic component shortages, proliferating firmware attacks, and President Biden's new nationwide infrastructure package. AT&T's lobbying efforts to perpetuate the digital divide (prevent a nationwide fiber rollout and keep "high speed Internet" definitions low at 10 Mbps), pundit dreams of a widened scope for Facebook's Oversight Board, and Facebook's proposed regulatory changes of Section 230 were also highlighted. The surprisingly small number of people responsible for most of the global anti-vaccination disinformation, the promise of USI styluses for Chromebooks, improvements to Google Drive search, and the challenges of long-term Android updates on smartphones were discussed as well. Google's plans to refrain from April Fools Day video pranking for a second consecutive year, controversy over Amazon's new biometric mandates for delivery drivers, and Parler's recent user lessons on legal free speech, and a delightful Twitter bracket for "the greatest product of all time" (won by Google search) were topics rounding on the show. Geeks of the week included an article about The Louvre's digitization of 482,000 Artworks, and the disturbing (but important) article by Lyz Lenz, "When The Mob Comes." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 212 NCCE 2021 Rocked

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 11:16:00 GMT

Welcome to episode 212 ("NCCE 2021 Rocked") of the EdTech Situation Room from March 24, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the 2021 NCCE Conference, Google and Microsoft's spat over Australian journalism row & payoff, and Twitter's new entity in Turkey complying with local social media laws. Thoughtful articles analyzing the possibility of Donald Trump launching his own social media platform, a shout out to Karla Swisher's January podcast interview with (now ousted) Parler CEO John Matze, the crowdsourcing website Sedition Hunter, and an excellent CNN article on preparing kids to use social media were also highlighted. Privacy issues with Clubhouse, Lenovo's new Chromebooks for the education market, updated Google Photos AI capabilities, and on-going development of Google's Fuchsia operating system were discussed. Updates to Google notifications, a costly Bitccoin scam, white hat hacker profits during the pandemic, China's Microsoft Exchange server attack, Microsoft's announced reopening of business offices, and exciting announcements about electric cars and batteries by Volkswagen rounded out the show. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 211 Age of CyberWar

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 04:31:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 211 ("Age of CyberWar") of the EdTech Situation Room from March 3, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed privacy issues raised by Clubhouse, Google's professed commitment to privacy, and the Duck Duck Go Privacy app. Additional discussed articles included a sobering prophesy by the FireEye CEO on future cyberwar, how the "Blacklight" tool can reveal the extent of website tracking of consumers, and (thanks to Peggy George) an article about 12 essential apps to protect your online privacy. An update on the Apple M1 SSD writing issue, an effort by Arizona legislators to change Apple's App Store payment policies, and the reopening of all 270 Apple stores in the United States were also highlighted. Chromebook and Google Family Link news and a new company promising to slash electric motor energy consumption rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included a student eBook project from Casady School seniors (in Oklahoma City) and an iOS/MacOS remote scanning solution. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 210 Facebook Re-friends Australia

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 12:41:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 210 ("Facebook Re-friends Australia") of the EdTech Situation Room from February 24, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the closure of Fry's Electronics Stores nationwide in the United States, and more details about updates and changes to "Google Workplace for Education" (the rebranded product suite formerly known as "Google Suite for Education" or GSFE.) Apple M1 processor SSD write woes, mysterious MacOS malware, "technology correction" updates from Australia involving major news publishers, Facebook and Google, and some other miscellaneous tech news stories. These included a more sophisticated procedure for using the gene editing tool CRISPR, contention between Canada and China over a vote on the "Uighur Genocide," and another chapter in the tragic story of Google firing AI ethicist and researcher Timnit Gebru. Geeks of the Week included the New York Public Library Digital Collections, and season 3 of the Vox podcast series, "Land of the Giants" focusing on "The Google Empire," its history and origin stories as well as its current trajectory. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 209 Google Education Pivots

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 03:36:10 GMT

Welcome to episode 209 ("Google Education Pivots") of the EdTech Situation Room from February 17, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google News including significant changes to PAID services for educational customers, privacy, security, Apple, podcasting and connectivity related news headlines. The LastPass password manager's forthcoming change to STOP supporting free accounts with both mobile and laptop/desktop computer access was highlighted and lamented. "The Tech Correction" (of course) was also discussed. Geeks of the Week included a new "Doodle for Google" challenge and tips on how to get more space in your Google online storage quota. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 208 North Dakota and Apple

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 12:46:18 GMT

Welcome to episode 208 ("North Dakota and Apple") of the EdTech Situation Room from February 11, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed "The Technology Correction," Apple News, Google Chrome and Chromebook news, and privacy updates, including Chrome's forthcoming ban of third party browser cookies. Security news included a recent hacker attack of a Florida city water treatment plant, and a damning New York Times op-ed, "How the United States Lost to Hackers," which details how the focus on offensive cyberattacks by US agencies and military units has opened a pandora's box of cyber weapon capabilities which is utilized by a variety of nation-state and non-state actors against a wide variety of individuals and groups. Articles about connectivity and space rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included a LiveScience article about the use of artificial intelligence to bring statues and images of ancient Roman emperors to full-color life, and the forthcoming second edition of Jason's favorite book, "Why Don’t Students Like School." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 207 Scraping is NOT a Crime

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 13:06:02 GMT

Welcome to episode 207 ("Scraping is NOT a Crime") of the EdTech Situation Room from February 3, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed digital security, 5G / Connectivity, Apple news, Google news, burgeoning Chromebook sales, and "the tech correction." This included the threat and possibility of Google discontinuing its search service in Australia in response to newly proposed tax laws. Ongoing disclosures via Parler following the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. capitol were also discussed, including a Lawfare article explaining why the "web scraping" which was done to archive / backup Parler's terabytes of user submitted media was NOT illegal / a violation of U.S. law. We also briefly mentioned two new videoconferencing / video chat platforms, Kumospace (via Peggy George and Teachers Teaching Teaches) and Class.com from Zoom. Geeks of the Week included Stack Social, Jimmy Wales' nascent social network (WT Social,) an Ethan Zuckerman podcast interview with Jimmy Wales, the Chrome Music Lab, and the "Ground News" media aggregator. Jason delivered tonight's 1AR. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 206 Tech Regulation Approaches

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:53:47 GMT

Welcome to episode 206 ("Tech Regulation Approaches") of the EdTech Situation Room from January 27, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed our ongoing "tech correction" with social media companies, users and governments: The potential for new regulations on technology companies in response not only to the January 6, 2021 Capitol Riot in Washington D.C. but also the overall polarizing effects of social media on our society and government. Additional topics addressed in the show include broadband access challenges in the United States, updates from Google to ChromeOS and other product platforms, Apple M1 chip user reports and forthcoming software updates (including Google Drive File Stream in April.) Geeks of the Week included an amazing simulation video from MIT in 2014 about the CRISPR gene editing technology, Jason's favorite (and top rated) standing desk, and the opening of NECC 2021 online registrations. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 205 - Struggling with Information Abundance

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:14:31 GMT

Welcome to episode 205 ("Struggling with Information Abundance") of the EdTech Situation Room from January 20, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent technology news involving connectivity / bandwidth, Microsoft's embrace of open source software development, the return of the 3:2 laptop monitor aspect ratio, and David Perell's thought provoking recent article, "The Paradox of Abundance." On the topics of social media and "The Technology Correction," topics included over 80 terabits of archived video posted on Parler during the January 6th Capitol Riot, the potential of the social media bans on President Trump to be an inflection point for global Internet fragmentation and censorship, and practical strategies to use when engaging in dialog with someone who believes a "fruit loop conspiracy theory." Geeks of the Week included the upcoming February 17-18 "Learn with Google" conference, Wes' GigaOM Twitter list, exemplary use of Twitter to share live event links by the Biden Inauguration team, and the vibrant community of Zune music player devotees. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 204 - Forecasts for 2021

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 03:52:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 204 ("Forecasts for 2021") of the EdTech Situation Room from January 12, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) shared some predictions for educational technology in 2021, as well as a few technology news headlines from the past two weeks. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 203 - Adios 2020

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 04:03:58 GMT

Welcome to episode 203 ("Adios 2020") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 30, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the amazing Apple M1 chips, neuromorphic computing, "the case for edtech minimalism," and some of the amazing milestone in space exploration during 2020. "Public domain riches from 1925," the vast scope of Amazon's role in our economy and society, the possible end of privacy as we know it, and security concerns for Google Chrome extensions and the Google Play Store were also discussed. The continuing challenges of conspiracy theories in the age of COVID, changes to the landscape of drones for 2021, and Amazon's acquisition of Wondery to compete with Spotify for podcasting dominance were topics rounding out this week's show. Wes' Geek of the Week was his newly created website, "Fryer & Ward Family Recipes" (food.wesfryer.com) and Jason's was The Internet Archive (archive.org). Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 202 - Google Down

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 03:48:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 202 ("Google Down") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 16, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news including Wednesday's temporary service outage, acquisition of Neverware, the death of Cloud Print, and the controversial firing of AI researcher and ethicist watchdog Timnit Gebru. Updates to Firefox and Microsoft Office for native MacOS M1 processor support, and developer-mandated revelations about the jaw-dropping ways Facebook's iOS app tracks user behavior and collects private data. Facebook's new PR ad campaign "advocating for small businesses" (ok, whatever...), YouTube's streaming music dominance over all other players, the huge popularity of gaming videos on streaming networks, and disinformation commentary from Roger McNamee as well as Facebook's oversight board's initially selected cases were topics rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included T-Mobile's first 5G hotspot and dataplan, DownDetector.com, and Troy Hunt's spectacularly helpful "Compromised Password Checker." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 201 - Facebook's Reckoning Approaches

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 05:16:43 GMT

Welcome to episode 201 ("Facebook's Reckoning Approaches") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 9, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new lawsuits brought against Facebook by the FTC and 48 state attorneys general. Apple's new privacy disclosure requirements for developers, the last update for Adobe Flash, and a critical expose of the website PornHub were also highlighted. A recent nation-state hack of the top tier cybersecurity company FireEye, the sufficiency of Windows Defender for security protection of WindowsOS systems, Google and password manager audit tools, and the Apple / Cloudflare initiative to secure DNS via new protocols were discussed. Ways to protect privacy with a smart speaker in your house, the vulnerability of both passwords and SMS-based two factor authentication, and the website HaveIBeenPwned.com were topics rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included the recent #digiURI Media Club meetup discussing the TED Radio Hour Episode, "IRL Online," Kevin MacLeod's websites for free music downloads, and the GoSund Smart Plugs. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 200 - A Bicentennial Conversation

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 15:35:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 200 ("A Bicentennial Conversation") of the EdTech Situation Room from December 2, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), special guest Eric Langhorst (@ELanghorst) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed technology news influenced by the upcoming U.S. Presidential transition, the imminent death of Google Cloud Print, and forthcoming services and products from Apple including Apple Fitness and a possible 16 inch MacBook Pro. Amazon's expanding efforts to completely erode all remaining consumer privacy, Amazon's new effort to open up your network to security vulnerabilities via its 'creepy' new service called "sidewalk," and the ongoing, common poor password practices of MANY people today were also discussion topics. Microsoft365's new workplace surveillance tools for administrators, the vital role of WordPress in powering most 2020 U.S. election campaign websites, and five reasons you should DELETE Telegram from your smartphone were articles rounding out this 200th episode. Geeks of the Week included products from Anker, China's new lunar robotic mission, and a holiday light drone show. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 199 - Fake Selfies Everywhere

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 23:35:09 GMT

Welcome to episode 199 ("Fake Selfies Everywhere") of the EdTech Situation Room from November 25, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Black Friday technological temptations, China's robotic rocket launch this week to bring back moon rocks to earth, and a remarkable New York Times multimedia article on fake photo generation websites and services for hire. Google Meet's new support for up to 100 breakout rooms in a single call, promising updates for native webpage (non-app) Chromebook annotation, and the best Chromebooks of 2020 were also discussed. Chromebook manufacturers following Apple's lead and ditching Intel, surprisingly positive youth perceptions of YouTube videos as educational / instructive, and home networking troubleshooting tips were highlighted. Geeks of the Week included a new and fairly simple method to "clean up" shared YouTube video links for students, and a technique to "play thousands of retro arcade games on an Amazon Fire Stick." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 198 - We Loved Thee, Google Expeditions

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 21:44:58 GMT

Welcome to episode 198 ("We Loved Thee, Google Expeditions''") of the EdTech Situation Room from November 18, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed FCC changes to United States bandwidth spectrum affecting WiFi and automotive emergency communication, faster Google Chromebook chips and Google Product Black Friday specials, and the benefits of YouTube Premium. The depressing demise of both Google Expeditions and Google Tour Creator in Summer 2021, Google Pay's impressive upgrade, GitHub's decision to support fair use, and favorable reviews of Apple's new M1 chip powered laptops which are convincing Jason to return to the Apple user fold were also highlighted. An alarming revelation about the poorly perceived reach of Facebook's economic surveillance methods was also discussed. Geeks of the Week included Wes' preview video for the December #digiURI Media Club meeting (discussing the March 2020 TED Radio Hour, "IRL Online" and the case for remote learning at home with TWO monitors. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 197 - Bring Forth Thy M1 Chip

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 12:29:38 GMT

Welcome to episode 197 ("Bring Forth Thy M1 Chip''") of the EdTech Situation Room from November 11, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed ongoing information pollution relating to the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, the new Apple M1 chip and other announcements from the November 10th Apple Event. Educator concerns about remote test monitoring during COVID-19, Google announcements about the end of free, unlimited Photo and Cloud document storage, and Roku's support for Apple HomeKit and AirPlay2 were also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included three recommended YouTube videos from Wes and a free Stadia gaming bundle for U.S. and U.K. YouTube Premium Subscribers from Jason. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 196 - Election Disinformation Brewin'

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 02:26:57 GMT

Welcome to episode 196 ("Election Disinformation Brewin''") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 28, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed election disinformation and countermeasures, deepfake threats, amplification of divisive issues by foreign and domestic actors, battles over WikiPedia facts, privacy and podcast tracking, and more. Adversarial interoperability, The Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure efforts to reimagine and rearchitect the Internet, smoking's lesson for social media regulation, forthcoming updates to Internet Explorer, and Apple's apparent foray into Internet search. Geeks of the Week included MS Edge on a Chromebook, Tour Creator by Google, a web-based teleprompter that listens to your voice and keeps pace with the speaker, and a new start engine startup (Neeva.) Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. NOTE WE WILL NOT HAVE A SHOW NEXT WEEK ON NOVEMBER 4TH.

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EdTechSR Ep 195 - Search History Overreach

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:47:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 195 ("Search History Overreach'") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 21, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed privacy-violating subpoenas Google is now complying with, which provide identifying information about ALL people in a certain context who are searching for particular terms online. Historically, accessing knowledge (like checking out or reading particular library books) has not been something to which law enforcement officials in the United States have NOT had ready access. Our conversations touched on privacy issues involving VPNs, the TOR browser, how TCP/IP header packets include identifying MAC address information for the device(s) people use to access the Internet, and more. Additional topics discussed included surveillance capitalism, revelations that antivirus company AVAST secretly sold user data, Cory Doctorow's decision to write less dystopian SciFi, and a new competitor to Zoom in the academic videoconferencing market: Engageli. On the Google / ChromeOS front, Google's decision to extend the supported life of ChromeOS on many Chromebooks (to 9-10 years), Acer's forthcoming Chromebook with Snapdragon chips, and the overall arc of computer processors to use smartphone chips were discussed. The U.S. Department of Justice's newly announced anti-trust case against Google for alleged monopolistic behavior in maintaining its global dominance in Internet search, as well as an outstanding Renee DiResta (@noupside) article in the Atlantic about the rise and continued influence of QAnon and conspiracy groups to push conspiracy theories into mainstream media was also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included a YouTube Creators' tutorial about editing videos in the YouTube Studio interface, an outstanding Sway podcast interview with Elon Musk, and the cellular alternative provider, Visible. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 194 - Yes Another New iPhone

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 11:27:22 GMT

Welcome to episode 194 ("Yes Another New iPhone'") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 14, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's new announcements about iPhone12 and HomePod Mini, actions taken by social media companies to curb election-related misinformation and malinformation, and some proposals by tech correction advocates for technology company anti-trust legislation advocates. Developments in fast battery charging technology, the CRISPR / CAS9s discovering female scientists recently awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the promises of faster bandwidth over both cellular 5G and residential cable modems, and the mindblowing power of the average smartphone today were topics rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included a call to audit your own autopay subscriptions, a great opportunity for high school students to learn about AI from Stanford alums and grad students, and the podcast "In Machines We Trust" from journalist Jennifer Strong of the MIT Tech Review. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 193 - Oops Google Did It Again

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 10:57:36 GMT

Welcome to episode 193 ("Oops Google Did It Again'") of the EdTech Situation Room from October 7, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed monopolistic behavior of big tech companies, rebranding of Google' GSuite as "Google Workspace," updates to Google/Nest WiFi, availability of Google Drive File Stream for consumer accounts, and the release of a powerful new Chromebox by CTL. On the Apple front, rumors about the new iPhone set to be announced October 13th and an iOS14 battery drain solution (wipe your iOS) were highlighted. Several articles on social media and our ongoing "Technology Correction" were discussed from the Mozilla Foundation and other sources, seeking to curb the harmful impacts of virtual disinformation and conspiracy groups on the upcoming U.S. election. These include new steps by Facebook and Twitter to crack down on user accounts violating terms of service agreements and community standards. Ongoing COVID-19 impacts on movie theaters, long-game surveillance activities by the Chinese government, and a helpful metaphor to regulation of the tobacco / smoking industry as we thinking about needed regulations on social media were topics rounding out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included an eye opening "Angry Planet" podcast interview with Jason Wilson (@jason_a_w) about the rise of online extremist groups, an excellent "Virtually Unprepared" webinar series from The Classical Association of New England, a media literacy unit on "Just Add WikiPedia" for news site validation, and a YouTube TV promotional offer including a free Chromecast. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 192 - Delete All Your Idle Smartphone Apps

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 02:55:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 192 ("Delete All Your Idle Smartphone Apps'") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 30, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the marathon nature of the COVID-19 pandemic for society and schools, the challenges of rural broadband connectivity, and the biggest announcements from Google's Pixel 5 Event. Upgrades to Google Meet, new HP Chromebooks, AI that can draw reasonably good pictures based on captions, and a call from futurist Amy Webb for a U.S. National Strategic Office for AI and other critical science and technology initiatives were also highlighted. COVID-19 era controversies over surveillance and biometric powered online assessment tools were discussed. Geeks of the Week included Wes' recent posts on Lesson Cast workflows for teachers, and Jason's call to "delete all your unused smartphone apps." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 191 - COVID-19 and Our New Educational 'Normal'

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 22:32:12 GMT

Welcome to episode 191 ("COVID-19 and Our New Educational 'Normal'") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 23, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the likelihood of long term COVID-19 impacts on education and our society, new Apple Watch and iPad announcements from the September 15th Apple Event, and Chromebook news from HP and the Dev channel. On the subject of U.S. - China relations, the proposed restructuring of TikTok and the possibility that differences over 5G infrastructure rollouts portends a tectonic shift in international relations was discussed. Continuing observations and analysis of the looming "tech correction," articles on Twitter and Facebook actions to censor disinformation and bad actors on their platforms, Facebook's thread to leave the EU over proposed data regulations in Ireland, and a fantastic TED Radio Hour podcast episode highlighting issues of privacy, surveillance capitalism, subversion of democratic processes, and "the tech correction" was also discussed. On the security front, the first hospital death in Germany attributed to a ransomware attack, and the incredible impact of the Mozi botnet on global IoT traffic were highlighted. The tremendous impact of WikiPedia articles on local tourism in some countries, the exciting detection of "phosphene" in the atmosphere of Venus suggesting organic life, and the ongoing destructive effects of disinformation and socially shared conspiracy theories in countering the spread of COVID-19 were explored. Geeks of the Week included Little Alchemy 2, “The Age of AI” by YouTube Originals (hosted by Robert Downey Jr.), a 4 Part Lesson Series on “Conspiracy Theories” by Wes, and the excellent media literacy website spotthetroll.org. Tips for how to use a second monitor with your laptop and the NECC 2021 virtual conference Call for Proposals were also shared. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 190 - Jason on the Apple Edge

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:32:39 GMT

Welcome to episode 190 ("Jason on the Apple Edge") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 9, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed forthcoming announcements by Apple for the Apple Watch and iPad ecosystems, the return of Google Maps to the Apple Watch, and Apple's compelling arguments in litigation with Epic Games over Fortnight App Store payments. A review of Android 11, the integration of Google WiFi app functions into Google Home, and the possible demise of the open source FireFox web browser were also highlighted. T-Mobile's plan to give limited free data plan hotspots to 10 million U.S. students, China's nationwide ban of MIT's Scratch programming software for students, and the question of whether or not China and the United States are reaching a competitive tipping point in relations were explored. A rather wild story of disinformation over 5G cell towers in Peru leading to a hostage situation rounded out the show's news. Geeks of the Week included a new tutorial video by Wes helping students change their Google password, and 3 tool recommendations from Jason to combat browser tab overload. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 189 - Hack the Nook

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 23:05:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 189 ("Hack the Nook") of the EdTech Situation Room from September 2, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed COVID-19 impacts and predicted impacts on schools in 2020-21 and beyond, and Apple's App store fights with Epic Games (over Fortnite) and WordPress, New Android updates for latest Samsung devices, Jason's love for Android E Ink tablets and desire to "hack the nook," updates about the U.S. military's new "Starlink style" space network in the work, and SpaceX's efforts to qualify Starlink for FCC grants were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included the forthcoming documentary, "The Social Dilemma," the superb Oct 2019 article by Joan Donovan, "How memes got weaponized: A short history," a free W3C Web Accessibility course, a helpful article about accessible typefaces, and FiveThirtyEight's statistical election forecasts. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 188 - Hong Kong in Crisis

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 21:25:47 GMT

Welcome to episode 188 ("Hong Kong in Crisis") of the EdTech Situation Room from August 26, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed surveillance, privacy and security force crackdowns in Hong Kong, a Kansas teacher's crowdsourced use of Google Sheets to track COVID-19 school closures, and Google's recent "Future of the Classroom" report. Forthcoming updates to Google Meet and Google Classroom, forthcoming upgrades to Google's home video casting technology, and the apparent loss of simplicity for Chromebooks amidst dual-boot and other options were also discussed. The alarming rise of "fruit loop conspiracy theory" advocates including winning candidates in U.S Congressional primary elections, the rise of political extremists in the United States on the wings of conspiracy theories, and the impact of sustained remote work mandates by tech companies on the Silicon Valley housing marked were highlighted. The dark side of the "sandbox game" RoBlox was also mentioned. Geeks of the Week included ethics in computing and science embodied in the "Asilomar AI Principles," the recent "Undivided Attention" podcast episode, "“When Media Was for You and Me," The Epic eBook of Web Tools and Apps, and Google Voice. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 187 - Embrace CloudReady in Our Pandemic

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 00:43:53 GMT

Welcome to episode 187 ("Embrace CloudReady in Our Pandemic") of the EdTech Situation Room from August 12, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Russia's announcement to skip phases 2 and 3 in rushed vaccine trial, Chromebook and device shipment delays for schools and individuals, and the wonders of Neverware's CloudReady software for running ChromeOS on older Intel-based computer hardware. Microsoft's new Surface Duo laptop, changes to Google Play Music, and screentime for kids (and adults) during the pandemic were also discussed. Additional topics included the limits of home connectivity bandwidth, the importance of "filtering the exoflood" of polluted information around us, and recent government initiated interruptions in Internet connectivity and social media platform access in Belarus following a contested election. Tips for upgrading a 2020 iMac, a recent webinar on "Know Your Power: Know Your Rights" (shared by Peggy George,) and Charter Telecom's push for residential Internet data caps with the FCC were also highlighted. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 186 - Don't TINKER with Students' Free Speech Rights

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 18:13:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 186 ("Don't TINKER with Students' Free Speech Rights") of the EdTech Situation Room from August 5, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed teenage Twitter hackers and zoombombing, tips for remote workers, and illegal school restrictions on student social media use in Georgia amidst pandemic response controversy. Microsoft's possible purchase of TikTok, reason's to still purchase a MacOS Intel-based computer instead of waiting for Apple Silicon, a recent podcast highlighting the prominent role of conspiracy theories in shaping politics throughout history, and the ways people are fighting disinformation in our COVID-19 era were also discussed. Geeks of the week included the Oregon State Open Text Project on Romeo and Juliet, an instructional support module on 'live teaching tools' including Wooclap (which is free for K-12), the awesome scheduling platform Doodle, and the private beta for the videography platform mmHmm. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 185 - The Speed You Need

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 12:44:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 185 ("The Speed You Need") of the EdTech Situation Room from July 29, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed home Internet speeds and connectivity best practices for remote learners and workers. Coronavirus planning and announcements for the fall 2020 academic term, Congressional testimony by CEOs from Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Apple, and the importance of "reverse image search" skills and media literacy in our propaganda-filled information environment were also highlighted and analyzed. Resurfacing disinformation videos ("Plandemic" from May 2020) on social media, censorship of disinformation by social media tech firms, a great BBC video uncovering the QAnon conspiracy cult, and Google's new "for context" links were discussed in the context of media literacy and the ongoing "tech correction." Topics rounding out the show included ongoing tech shortages during the COVID-19 global pandemic, Android "Phone Hub" features added to ChromeOS, and Collabra Office for ChromeOS. Geeks of the Week included a remarkable podcast Twitter post thumbnail video by Michelle Obama, Google's forthcoming free global conference "The Anywhere School 2020," the "Global EdTech Academy" YouTube playlist from CUE, and the powerful Amazon Fire Toolbox. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 184 - Remote Learning Looms Large

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 03:34:40 GMT

Welcome to episode 184 ("Remote Learning Looms Large") of the EdTech Situation Room from July 22, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed announcements by many school districts nationwide starting the 2020-21 academic year at home in "remote learning" mode. The "Vaccine Trust Problem," Twitter's crackdown on conspiracy / disinformation QAnon accounts, Eric Schmidt's advice about government regulation of social media companies, and news articles about Internet trolls stoking the fires of political polarization were also discussed. A looming ban of the TikTok app by U.S. government officials, the new GMail experience for GSuite users, and updates in ChromeOS version 84 were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included the "Mote" extension for voice comments in Google Docs via the Chrome browser, the new Google Certified Coach program, and the upcoming NCCE/TeacherCast “Beyond the Bootcamp” free webinar. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 183 - Back To School Planning During COVID-19

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 22:16:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 183 ("Back To School Planning During COVID-19") of the EdTech Situation Room from July 8, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the upcoming Mountain Moot virtual conference, and the enormous challenges facing school administrators planning for safe K-12 learning in schools this fall amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Updates from ChromeOS world were shared by Jason, including a forthcoming "clipboard history manager," worthy "cheap Chromebooks," and Amazon issues with inaccurate Chromebook spec headlines. Updates from the ongoing Facebook advertiser boycott and protest movement and challenges around 5G infrastructure build-outs and standards specifications between China and the United States were also explored. Homework for our episode was to follow Peggy George on Twitter (@pgeorge) and subscribe to Peggy's super-helpful Nuzzel newsletter (nuzzel.com/pgeorge). Geeks of the Week included the Archive.org software library (including Oregon Trail), 1 Take Videos by Lodge McCammon (@pocketlodge) and a post by Wes about installing an "ethernet backhaul" cable at home to speed up WiFi performance. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 182 - Awash in Digital News

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 20:12:57 GMT

Welcome to episode 182 ("Awash in Digital News") of the EdTech Situation Room from July 1, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed our need for media literacy and information filtering strategies, and our ongoing "technology correction" reflected in advertiser protest pressure on Facebook for content moderation. The exciting announcement by Microsoft to offer a public beta of Minecraft Education Edition on Chromebooks, significant announcements by Apple at WWDC 2020 last week, Google's privacy changes for new users, and potential dangers of CRISPR human genome editing were other topics addressed in the show. Wes' Geeks of the Week included a support article about providing handwritten feedback on Google Docs via an iPad and Google Classroom, Google Meet tips and tricks, and Kast (a software program for watching web videos together). Jason's Geek of the Week was a new "undelete" utility for Windows10 users. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 181 - Starlink Dreaming

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 16:52:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 181 ("Starlink Dreaming") of the EdTech Situation Room from June 17, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed virtual and face-to-face summer camps for students and teachers during our present pandemic, ChromeOS news, the "technology correction" and social media developments involving political advertisements, and the dynamics of content moderation of political speech. The beta phase of Starlink provided satellite connectivity by SpaceX and COVID-19's impact on movie theaters and college admissions testing were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included an upcoming June 30th KQED free webinar, "Help Students Fight Misinformation One Click at a Time," and Paul Anderson's (of Bozeman Science) updated video, "How I Make Screencasts." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 180 - Read Before You ReTweet

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 13:03:05 GMT

Welcome to episode 180 ("Read Before You ReTweet") of the EdTech Situation Room from June 10, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the intersection of privacy and smartphones during civic protests, the spread of false rumors and doctored images during the D.C. protests, and our societal need for media literacy education and media mentors. Liability lawsuits for Amazon over the sale of fake N95 masks, disinformation sharing on Twitter by national leaders, and official encouragement from Twitter support to "read before you retweet" were highlighted. On the Apple front, plans to use Apple chips in MacOS computers (instead of Intel processors) for the first time, and the forthcoming death (in 2020) of iTunesU in favor of Apple Classroom and Schoolwork apps was explored. Rounding out the show, news of a famous 23 year old Chinese gamer announcing his retirement from eSports due to health concerns, and a lawsuit over copyright/DRM and eBooks for the Internet Archive during the COVID19 pandemic were also mentioned. Geeks of the week included the YouTube channel and RedIT channel for DIY technology refurbisher Luke Miani, classroomscreen.com, a tutorial about using Noun Project icons in presentation slideshows, and an archived recent conference about Memes in society. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 179 - Harbinger of the Tech Correction

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 28 May 2020 14:05:59 GMT

Welcome to episode 179 ("Harbinger of the Tech Correction") of the EdTech Situation Room from May 27, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the intersection of safety, security, medical needs and privacy when it comes to COVID-19 contact tracing. Developments around Twitter's attempts to counter U.S. Presidential misinformation, "the human cost of misinformation" in the age of neo-coronavirus, and the challenge to mainstream media credibility posed by news outlets republishing Amazon press releases repackaged as "news" were also highlighted. A recent Forbes article on Chrome browser security was also discussed, along with the opportunity articles like this provide to practice web literacy / media literacy strategies like SIFT. (s/o @holden) The escalating battle over 5G infrastructure between China / Huawei and the United States was also discussed, along with reported issues relating to Apple iOS software updates as well as Microsoft Windows10 updates. A recent report by the U.S. Copyright office encouraging Congress to revisit "safe harbor" provisions of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) in favor of rights holders was explored. Geeks of the Week included Reflector 3 and AirParrot updates from AirSquirrels, the virtual MountainMoot (July 15-17, 2020), and a new project by Wes and Brian Turnbaugh (@wegotwits) formatively titled, "Conspiracies and Culture Wars." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 178 - Anticipating a Fluid Future

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 25 May 2020 03:44:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 178 ("Anticipating a Fluid Future") of the EdTech Situation Room from May 20, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Microsoft's revolutionary "Fluid" Office document format, privacy and surveillance in the COVID-19 era, and a new Mozilla VPN service. Passwords for sale on the dark web, Equifax's failure to provide consumer compensation payments for the 2017 data breach, and conspiracy theory psychology were also highlighted. Rumors of forthcoming Apple Glasses for AR/.VR, tips for. addressing slow Internet speeds at home, SpaceX's promises for low latency satellite connectivity, and tips for better videoconferencing were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included the Unsplash Images GSuite Marketplace App, the Rabbit Hole Podcast from the New York Times, and a DIY hack to breathe new memory life into an old iPod Classic. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 177 - COVID-19 May Change Colleges and Schools Forever

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 14 May 2020 12:29:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 177 ("COVID-19 May Change Colleges and Schools Forever") of the EdTech Situation Room from May 13, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed predictions for how the COVID-19 pandemic may significantly disrupt higher education to the benefit of "top tier" universities, the glaring inequities in educational opportunities laid bare by mandated "remote learning" / learning at home today, and Congressional initiatives to expand broadband funding. The impact of paranoia of cheating on remote learning, and the "teachable moment" provided by the disinformation video "Plandemic" for media literacy, were discussed. On the security front, a major security flaw involving "Thunderbolt" computer ports, National Password Day, and an unfortunate disruption of an Oklahoma college graduation by a racist troll were highlighted. Privacy issues with smartphones in the COVID-19 pandemic was briefly discussed, and will be addressed at greater length in a future episode. Geeks of the Week included Goosechase mobile media scavenger hunt free upgrades for teachers, disinformation and social media visualization tools, a free 3 hour media literacy course on the "SIFT" framework, and a new way to run 1.5 million Android apps and games on your PC or Mac. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Thanks to everyone who joined us live and shared comments in our live chat! Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 176 - Choose Your Digital Platform Investments Carefully

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 07 May 2020 11:57:50 GMT

Welcome to episode 176 ("Choose Your Digital Platform Investments Carefully") of the EdTech Situation Room from May 7, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed updates from Apple including more predicted "opening" to third party platforms on iOS and MacOS, FaceID and masks, and prescient words from Tim Cook in the latest Apple earnings call. On the Microsoft front, Windows 10X progress as as a Chromebook competitor, Slack and Microsoft teams as collaboration tools were mentioned. On the Google side of platforms, the outstanding "Teach from Home" Google resource website, PewDiePie's exclusive live-streaming deal with YouTube, the spike in user-created "everyday with me" videos, and excellent screenshot improvements for ChromeOS as well as Chromeshot extensions were discussed. On COVID-19 related issues, the challenge of engaging social media followers and friends over disinformation videos / articles, a very insightful (and troubling) article from Harvard professor Fernando M. Reimers on the global impact of pandemic, and "An Open Letter to Independent School Leaders" by Ben Scafidi and Eric Wearne were discussed by Jason and Wes. Geeks of the Week included the upcoming June 9-11 On Air KS G-Summit, a COVID-19 scenario visualizer and simulator, a "choose your own adventure" digital story called "57 North," new "deep fake" videos using Chris Pratt images on Harrison Ford / Indiana Jones movie clips, the July 14-19, 2020 Summer Institute on Digital Literacy, and the Home Depot 62 in. Adjustable Height Work Bench Table as a home office desk. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Thanks to everyone who joined us live and shared comments in our live chat! Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 175 - Don't Close Your Streamyard Tab

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 01 May 2020 02:04:56 GMT

Welcome to episode 175 ("Don't Close Your Streamyard Tab") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 29, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed several Google Updates: the availability of Google's Hangouts Meet videoconferencing platform for consumer Google accounts, a way to extend the life of your Chromebook's browser, and updates to GSuite's sharing dialog. An amusing rant by a judge over a lawyers' poor attire choices during a trial by videoconference, the psychology of lifting the lockdown, the growth of telemedicine during COVID19, and the proliferation of stimulus check scams were also highlighted. Recommended media literacy books on "information pollution" and dives into the world of online radicalization, the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to prevent annotations to Georgia's state laws by state officials from remaining behind a paywall, and reported productivity challenges for remote working rounded out the show's topics. Geeks of the Week included a new ChromeOS installer for Windows users, Jason's "Live from NCCE" presentation video from last week on remote learning / teaching / working tips, a great digital video tribute from Reuters to journalists around the world, upcoming Oklahoma USAF flyby tributes to medical professionals, and two excellent online book publishing platforms. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Thanks to everyone who joined us live and shared comments in our live chat! Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 174 - The Eye of Sauron Briefly Appears

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 22:34:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 174 ("The Eye of Sauron Briefly Appears") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 22, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Tab Groups in Google Chrome, disinformation stories inspired is that the right word?!) by the neo-coronavirus, updates to videoconferencing tools WhatsApp and Hangouts Meet, digital divide realities made more visible by the COVID-19 pandemic, and announcements for Montana and Oklahoma that the states will be "opening for business" again soon after weeks of lock down. Renamed Office365 (now just "Microsoft365,") inspiring stories of 3D printing collaborative efforts to build COVID-19 PPE (personal protective equipment,) and the ongoing radicalization potential of YouTube were also discussed. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Thanks to everyone who joined us live and shared comments in our live chat! Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 173 - Skip That Facebook Quiz

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 22:11:54 GMT

Welcome to episode 173 ("Skip That Facebook Quiz") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 15, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the ongoing impact of the neo-coronavirus pandemic on schools, Google Chrome Tab Groups, Google Drive Workspaces, and a free extension which can "Zoomify" Google Hangouts Meet videoconferences (in one way). Apple's announcements of the more-affordable iPhone SE and a pretty amazing keyboard with integrated trackpad for the iPad Pro, why taking Facebook quizzes is a bad idea, dangerous VPN apps, and password manager comparisons were also discussed in the show. Geeks of the Week included software to turn your smartphone into a webcam, ways to control multiple computers with one keyboard and mouse, "DownDetector" to find out the extent of an Internet service outage, Google's "Teach from Home" resource hub, the "Jumbo" privacy setting assistant app, and a list of recommended "live teaching tools" for remote learning. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Thanks to everyone who joined us live and shared comments in our live chat! Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 172 - Don't Jack with My Zoom

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 01:46:29 GMT

Welcome to episode 172 ("Don't Jack with My Zoom") of the EdTech Situation Room from April 8, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) continued to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers, students, and parents, but also highlighted some recent technology headlines involving zoomjacking, remote learning, disinformation, YouTube influencers in the neo-coronavirus era, and "the technology correction." They also brainstormed "Best Tools and Strategies for Live Teaching" and software for "Virtual Backgrounds for Videoconferencing." If you have any options which should be included on these lists, please reach out to Jason or Wes on Twitter! Access archived MP3 audio and smaller 360P video archives of this and past shows on edtechSR.com. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Thanks to everyone who joined us live and shared comments in our live chat! Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTechSR Ep 171 - This Week in Pandemics

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:39:39 GMT

Welcome to episode 171 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 1, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) continued to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers, students, and parents, but also highlighted some recent technology headlines involving security, media literacy, and other issues. Those included the completion of the T-Mobile and Sprint merger, PBS Learning Media Resources for Home Learning integrating with Google Classroom, the recent FBI warning to teachers and school administrators to avoid "Zoom-jacking," and some helpful articles / tips about videoconferencing from home, including updating your home WiFi access points. (Wes recommends Google Nest!) Access archived MP3 audio and smaller 360P video archives of this and past shows on edtechSR.com. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Thanks to everyone who joined us live and shared comments in our live chat! Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 170

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:39:25 GMT

Welcome to episode 170 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 25, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) welcomed Eric Langhorst (@elanghorst) back as a special guest. Topics for the show included ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on schools, teachers and students, new product announcements from Apple, a discussion on whether or not home workers should leave smart speakers turned on, and more. Helpful and practical suggestions for remote teaching / online teaching for K-12 as well as university instructors / faculty from Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) and Jose Bowen (@josebowen) were highlighted. Geeks of the Week included Masterclass courses (including an AMAZING one about Space by Commander Chris Hadfield, Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance resources for remote teaching during the COVID-19 crisis, the CloudReady from Neverware ChromeOS operating system (free for home use.) Additional Geeks of the Week were an ongoing blog post series about educational technology and COVID-19 by Wes, Google Nest WiFi, and an upcoming free webinar on "Protecting Yourself and Your Family Online." Peggy George (@pgeorge) shared some excellent links during our show as well, including a new daily email newsletter with 10 helpful covid19EDU links (nuzzel.com/pgeorge). Access archived MP3 audio and smaller 360P video archives of this and past shows on edtechSR.com. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 169

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 15:54:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 169 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 18, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the exceptional week of neo-coronavirus / COVID-19 announcements, closures, and news we've experienced globally in the past seven days. We also discussed a few recent technology headlines, which (as usual) are linked in the shownotes, but most of our conversation focused on ways we can adapt and adjust as more people than ever are working from home, teaching from home, and learning from home. Access archived MP3 audio and smaller 360P video archives of this and past shows on edtechSR.com. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 168

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:39:53 GMT

Welcome to episode 168 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 11, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the impact of the coronavirus / Covid-19 on schools, resources for teachers and students "learning at home," media literacy in the age of coronavirus, critical wellness / self-care tips when working and teaching from home, and more. Additional topics included a major security victory for white hat hackers led by Microsoft over botnets created by cybercriminals, the importance of wiping / resetting your computer and other Internet connected devices annually, efforts by technology companies to battle election and coronavirus misinformation, and forthcoming improvements to mouse cursor support in Apple's iOS 14. Amazon price gouging and efforts to stop it during the Covid19 crisis, the dangers of free VPN services, and poignant issues about educational equity (including digital equity) raised by Google's chief educational evangelist, Jaime Casap (@jcasap) rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included instructional technology support / remote learning resources from Casady School, Carl Hooker's (@mrhooker) collected resources from a #FutureReady chat on coronavirus-mandated home teaching, Seesaw Home Learning resources, and a thoughtful article on Medium exploring, "Why All the Warby Parker Clones Are Now Imploding." Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 167

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 12:28:56 GMT

Welcome to episode 167 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 4, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment, so special guest Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) joined Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) to discuss the past week's technology headlines through an educational lens. Topics addressed included the impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on upcoming conferences and events, special upgrades and extended product trials offered by technology companies to schools to help meet possible online teaching demands brought on by the Coronavirus, as well as ongoing efforts to battle disinformation and information manipulation using social media platforms in the U.S. 2020 election season. Geeks of the week included Wakelet, a recent tweet by Evan Kirstel (@evankirstel) inspiring thoughts about the future of transportation, and an excellent Coronavirus GeoMap from Johns Hopkins using ArcGIS. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 166

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 12:20:08 GMT

Welcome to episode 166 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 26, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment, so special guest Susan Bearden (@s_bearden) joined Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) to discuss the past week's technology headlines through an educational lens. Topics addressed included the victory for Google Forms as a reliable information technology tool the Democratic Caucuses in Nevada and the malware dangers in "typosquatting," On the Google front, the expansion of Google Translate to include 108 languages, a lawsuit from the New Mexico Attorney General arguing Google is violating COPPA privacy laws by web-tracking minors, and the Linux app potential of Chromebooks via Flatpak were also discussed. In miscellaneous tech news, Apple's purported ban on movie villains using iPhones (they are reserved only for heroines and heroes, don't you know,) reports of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas now regretting his opinion regarding the classification off Internet Services for FCC regulatory purposes, and update on the Chinese robotic moon rover, and Pope Francis' exhortation to people around the world to take a Lenten screentime fast rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week (available in our shownotes) included great articles on security and data privacy, web-based video annotation tool options, and the PowerCert PowerCert Animated Videos on YouTube. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 165

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 12:34:25 GMT

Welcome to episode 165 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 13, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed changes to "backup files" in Google Drive and the demise of Andy Rubin's "Essential" Android phone hardware company. After another consecutive week of shout outs to the "EdTech Takeout Episode 71," we discussed the requirement for YouTube creators to mark all videos "made for kids" which fit Google's guidelines, and provided some analysis on the demise of "branded accounts" on YouTube for GSuite for Education (GSFE) domains. On the topic of media literacy, the recent podcast episode "Breaking the Truth: A Conversation with Samuel Woolley" on the show "Power 3.0 Podcast: Authoritarian Resurgence, Democratic Resilience" was discussed, along with hesitation (on the part of some elementary teachers) to "turn students loose on Google" to research topics in school. On the Apple front, Siri's new ability to answer Election 2020 questions, the rise of more adware / malware on MacOS computers, Apple's release of "Swift Playgrounds" for MacOS, and the rise of Apple Pay were highlighted. On the ChromeOS front, forthcoming updates to ChromeOS storage, "hot corners" customization options for ChromeOS like MacOS, and geeky steps to install the "Brave" browser on a ChromeOS device were shared. Geeks of the Week included the PixilArt website and mobile apps, episode 58 of the podcast Darknet Diaries, and the Chrome extension "FakeSpot" to identify fake reviews on Amazon and other sites. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 164

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 15:00:42 GMT

Welcome to episode 164 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 6, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed technology and mobile app woes in this week's Iowa Primary party caucuses and election, a case study of 'what not to do" with regard to copyright and Disney movies shown for a school fundraiser in California, and the 15 year birthday of Google Maps. The largest article collection in this week's shownotes concern the distressing and horrific exponential growth in child sexual abuse media as documented by a four part New York Times article series from late 2019, as well as the related political debate today regarding impending encryption of Facebook owned mobile apps which accounted for 90 percent of all reported child sexual abuse cases in 2018 (according to the NY Times). In our show Wes explained how this article series, along with related EFF articles, are encouraging him to rethink an "absolutist position" when it comes to digital encryption on Facebook specifically. Additional topics discussed in the show included reflections on the viability of the iPad as a profitable platform for Apple, the predictable end-of-life / end of software support for all smart devices in our homes, and YouTube policy changes affecting creators of kids content as well as policy changes for election related content violating published community standards. Geeks of the Week included Digital Learning Day coming up on February 27, 2020, Wes' updated "Digital Citizenship" Twitter list, and the "Planes Live!" mobile app for iOS and Android. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 163

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 13:18:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 163 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 29, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent revelations that the Avast Antivirus software program is a dragnet for user browser history sold to interested buyers, Google's announced extensions to ChromeOS support updates, and Google's forthcoming AirDrop clone, "Fast Share." A bizarre but newly validated story of Saudi Arabia's crown prince (MBS) hacking Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' cellphone via a video link shared privately with him through WhatsApp, controversy over Sonos legacy products and available security patches / software updates, and a variety of Election 2020 resources from a Paul Allison webcast (via Peggy George) were also highlighted. Quick headline shares included the new "Star Trek like" logo of the U.S. military's newest branch, Space Force, the release of more than 150,000 different art images from the Paris Museum into the public domain, and a New York Times feature article on Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri who is working to "take away the likes" (or at least partial visibility of them in certain cases) on the platform to purportedly help user wellness. Geeks of the Week included Rebble for Pebble (a crowdsourced operating system for the discontinued Pebble smartwatch) and a recent Today Explained podcast about new security researcher reports concerning the alleged Saudi Arabia initiated hack of Jeff Bezos' smartphone. NOTE NEXT WEEK'S SHOW WILL BE ON THURSDAY NIGHT INSTEAD OF WEDNESDAY! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 162

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 12:32:40 GMT

Welcome to episode 162 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 15, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Microsoft's new Edge Chromium web browser, Instagram's new policy to hide 'faked' images, 'Techlash" against the big tech companies on college campuses, and new research about blue light and sleep with our digital screens. More U.S. states mandating media literacy education, the arrival of WiFi 6 at last, the NSA's laudable decision to share a zero day exploit with Microsoft, and an update on recent drone formation sightings at night in eastern Colorado were also highlighted topics. On the security front, terrible password advice from the South China Morning Post and an update emergency for FireFox highlighted by U.S. Homeland Security officials were discussed. Boeing employees provided a good case study and reminder for us all about email retention with recently revealed "FAA mocking" messages, SpaceX as the world's top satellite operator, and a recent critical article in Oklahoma City news about the Norman Public Schools' laptop initiative rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included Luke Miani's YouTube Channel (amazing hacks and repurposing of older MacOS and iOS devices), Twinkly, and the "No Dumb Questions" podcast episode 72 on "How Did Humans Find Hawaii?" Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 161

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 11 Jan 2020 01:12:10 GMT

Welcome to episode 161 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 8, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new technology (including possible vaporware) revealed at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Apple's return to CES to champion digital privacy, and an exciting update to Bluetooth. Facebook's announced ban of "deepfake" videos and the potential problems they face with this laudable policy, a late December New York Times article highlighting the protean (rather than monolithic) nature of screentime and our need to stop bashing it, and an interesting historical as well as contemporary look at Google's business engagement in mainland China were explored. Jason's Geek of the Week was the "MeWe" social network alternative to Facebook, and Wes' was an outstanding "Your Undivided Attention" podcast interview with UC Irvine researcher Gloria Mark about the prevalence and detrimental impacts of interruptions on our work productivity and lives. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 160

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 14:47:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 160 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 1, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) kicked off the first show of the new year by discussing Audrey Waters' (@audreywatters) marathon post "The 100 Worst Ed-Tech Debacles of the Decade," and Dean Shareski's (@shareski) post "I Don’t Think I’m an EdTech Guy Anymore." On the security front, recent Amazon Ring "hack incidents" revealed to be caused by reuse of compromised passwords and a good article from USAToday highlighting the dangerous cleverness of bank account phishers were highlighted. The fruits of the latest "Public Domain Day," the use of the machine learning powered (and creepy) website ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com to create profile photos for fake right wing Facebook profiles attempting to manipulate U.S. voters, and an educational technology startup capitalizing on the invasive surveillance potential of the iPhone for college students skipping classes (SpotterEDU) were also discussed. On the topic of "weird drone stuff" which points the importance of coding and computational thinking for students in schools today, articles about ongoing sightings of mysterious drone formations in eastern Colorado / western Nebraska, and a bizarre drone jamming incident by rural Chinese farmers attempting to foil an organized crime effort to spread swine fever / a pathogen via drone aircraft were also highlighted. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 159

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 12:09:27 GMT

Welcome to episode 159 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 18, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) co-hosted our annual "Technology Shopping Cart" edition, when they recommended a diverse variety of tech related gifts for the geeks in your life. Check out the shownotes for a complete list of referenced products and goodies. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! If you use any of our recommendations as stocking stuffers or gifts under your Christmas tree, please reach out and let us know via Twitter! (Or if we missed a technology related gift you think should have made our lists, let us know that too!) Next week (on Christmas Day) we will NOT have a show, but we'll be back on Wednesday, January 1, 2020 to kick off the new year with more EdTechSR analysis about recent tech headlines from an educational perspective. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (unless we have a schedule change like next week) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 158

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 04:47:24 GMT

Welcome to episode 158 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 11, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed headlines from our continuing "Technology Cold War" between the United States and China, as well as the U.S. and Russia. China has announced it will purge all foreign made computer equipment from government offices, the FCC continues to oppose Huawei in US ISP networks, and reports continue to verify we're in a global information and disinformation war. Facebook continues to battle fake accounts and internal corruption aimed and bolstering fake accounts, Microsoft's new Mobile design, and Microsoft's first Linux app were also discussed. On the Apple front, the high prices for new Mac Pro desktop computer systems were highlighted. Chrome's enhanced password management and password compromise features, the end of life for the original Google Glass, the FBI's recommendation for home users to isolate IoT devices on a separate network, recommended physical security keys for two factor authentication, YouTube's request for more clarity on the FCC's COPPA-based ruling impacting creators, and Amazon versus Apple Family discussions were headlines rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included a recent Audible settlement with long time subscribers (check your email!), an amazing traveling Science museum exhibition and website, "The Science Behind Pixar," and an outstanding iOS and USB-C compatible security key from Yubikey. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (unless we have a schedule change like tonight) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 157

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 12:18:02 GMT

Welcome to episode 157 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 3, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the ascendency of Sundar Pichai to the throne of Alphabet, research revealing sophisticated and ongoing Russian propaganda efforts to weaponize social media to foment division and polarization in the United States, CyberMonday deals over the weekend for U.S technology consumers, and the 10 year anniversary / birthday of ChromeOS. The impeding selloff of all .org domains to a private equity company, the politics of local laws on technology platforms revealed by Apple's new map of Russia including (illegally) annexed Crimea, Apple's removal of customer reviews from its online store, and the announcement of the GitHub Security Lab to provide bug bounties for open source platforms were also highlighted. Additional topics included the benefits of letting milk cows use VR headsets (in Russia), IBM's use of machine learning algorithms to discover more ancient, giant etchings in the earth (similar to the Nazca Lines) using tons of satellite imagery, and the optimistic news from Hong Kong following recent elections fueled by student protests and the use of a variety of encryption apps to organize and remain anonymous in the burgeoning Chinese surveillance state. The imminent removal of inactive Twitter accounts and availability of those channel IDs and Google's struggles with the Stadia gaming platform rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included BlueGriffon (a free 64 bit WYSIWYG webpage editor), a recent podcast conversation by Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne) with Dr. Scott McLeod (@mcleod), and the amazing "Post It" app for iOS and Android. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (unless we have a schedule change like tonight) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 156

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 12:30:14 GMT

Welcome to episode 156 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 20, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed hoopla over YouTube's new requirements for "Creators" worldwide uploading videos to comply with COPPA law in the United States. The ongoing collapse of our information ecosystem thanks (in large part) to both disinformation and the monopolistic domination of global advertising revenues by Facebook and Google, the Russian effective techniques of “narrative laundering” highlighted by Rene DiResta (@noupside) and the need for "media literacy for all" so we can proactively "filter our feeds" were highlighted. The importance of using unique passwords (as highlighted by Disney+ account hacks,) the limitations of the Google Chrome password manager, and the proliferation of human engineering schemes to trick users / steal their money were discussed. Google updates included forthcoming support for audio embeds in Google Slides and the open sourcing of Google Cardboard. On AI and automation, a recent mass surveillance protest in Washington D.C. in which "14,000 people’s faces were non-consensually scanned," the availability of a "robot lawyer" for legal services, and the risk posed by automation to white collar jobs were highlighted. The importance of purchasing separate streaming boxes / devices for televisions in our homes and offices and the VERY poor sales data for Google Smart Speakers rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included the danger of USB charging ports and the options to use a "USB condom," National Geographic Educator Certification, and the Ecosia Chrome search extension. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 155

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:53:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 155 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 13, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed YouTube's newly announced terms of service to apparently pave the way for more channel / account takedowns, the latest 2018-19 report "Why Rural Matters," and the importance of addressing the rural/urban political divides which separate many voters in western states like Montana and Oklahoma. The "Long Tail" and the wonderful "Craft With Me" YouTube channel of Gayle Agostinelli was mentioned. The new PBS Frontline special "In the Age of AI," Deepmind AI and its triumph (AlphaStar) over Starcraft 2 world class players, Android users who love the Apple Watch, and Apple's ongoing focus / market differentiation on privacy were discussed. Additional topics included the story of Carson King, College GameDay in Iowa, Venmo, and the raising of $1 million for a local children's hospital overshadowed by racist tweets from the past, as well as articles about the algorithmic darkness of YouTube. Google's forthcoming inclusion of "end of life" date information in ChromeOS settings, Jason's rebuttal to Phil Schiller's (of Apple) public criticisms of Chromebooks, and security articles including discussion of passwords and "security fatigue" and the importance of using a unique password for your Google account were also highlighted. Disinformation research from NPR's Fresh Air program, and resources highlighting both our "age of information disorder) (via @firstdraftnews) and the weaponization of Twitter to counter critics of Saudi Arabia were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included The Noun Project, Andrew Marantz's new book "Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation," First Draft News' Informational Toolbox on Information Disorder, and an alarming video of MIT's Mini-Cheetah's rounded out the show. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 154

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 13:11:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 154 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 6, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the popularity and function of Apple's AirPods, ways to restore/enlarge your iPad icons with iPadOS13, and the benefits of using an Apple Watch as a wireless remote control during a presentation. Extended ChromeOS support from Google for hundreds of older Chromebooks, booming Chromebook sales and Android app use, shocking Chromebook durability tests, and an interesting article recommending that users regularly delete their Google data were included in Google-related updates. On the security front, the LastPass password challenge and other password manager features highlighting compromised/weak passwords, revelations that Chinese hackers have fully compromised the privacy of SMS messaging worldwide, and the vulnerability of smart speakers to "laser-based attacks" were highlighted. Additional topics included ending Google Pixel 1 smartphone support, the surging popularity of TikTok among U.S. teens, screentime and preschoolers, questions about Amazon's Alexa functionality stagnating, and AT&T's $60 million fine for misleading consumers about "unlimited data plans." The intrusive nature of virtual reality / VR experiences and helpful multidisciplinary approaches to create them and announcements from Adobe Max 2019 rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included Immersive AR/VR article features from the New York Times, a security question answered by Troy Hunt via Twitter, DarkNet Diaries episode about the mindblowing Saudi Aramco hack by Iranians in 2012, and the dark side of standard batteries. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 153

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 23:14:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 153 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 30, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Twitter's announcement to stop accepting paid political advertisements for candidates or issues, Facebook's employee complaints over its political ad policy, challenges to Mark Zuckerberg in testimony before the U.S. Congress, and a "deep fake" video targeting Senator Lindsey Graham over the "Green New Deal." @SmarterEveryDay's fantastic 3 part YouTube series on the weaponization of social media, The Mastodon Project, and the Factitious news game (great for media literacy discussions) were mentioned and recommended. The availability of Thunderbolt 3 on some Chromebooks, a new CTL Chromebox at reasonable prices, and Microsoft's political win over Amazon for a HUGE new U.S. military contract were also discussed. The launch of Facebook's new "News Tab" with payments to some mainstream media publishers, the new RCS standard for SMS / cell phone text messaging, Apple's newly announced "AirPod Pro" headphones, and a mind stretching Google AI Blog announcement about predicting the smell of different molecules rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included New Home Internet service from T-Mobile, amazing "Shot with iPhone" experiment videos from Apple, and a highly manipulative web service available called "The Spinner" perfect for a student media literacy lesson. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 152

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 23:34:36 GMT

Welcome to episode 152 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 23, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the demise of Nest smart thermostat installations by contractors following Google's acquisition, the Pixel 4 smartphone, Google fees for GMail storage, and Google's new "digital wellbeing" experimental apps. Enhanced genetic editing via CRISPR Prime / Primate Editing, the retirement of 8 inch floppy disks from the U.S. Air Force's nuclear arsenal control systems, the importance of home router firmware updates, credit card skimming software deployed on over 18,000 websites, and the poor password habits of Equifax network administrators were also highlighted. Meme culture and the PSAT, and the potentially contentious copyright bill just passed by the U.S. House of Representatives were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included the video "Scams That Should be Illegal" by @theodd1sout, the lesson "Don't Get Tricked Online" by Wes, the free Google Home Mini for Spotify Premium Users offer, and Jason's relative's kickstarter campaign for Cardshark! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 151

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 02:31:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 151 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 16, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on a birthday special assignment, so returning guest Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) joined Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) to discuss the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Topics included disinformation in the Turkish/Kurd conflict in Syria, "deep fake" videos, surveillance and privacy in our connected age, and the shifting rationale for government encryption advocates. Wellness and "digital minimalism," a hacked Interstate billboard showing pornography, John Oliver's debt forgiveness program, the T-Mobile and Sprint merger, and the underwhelming announcements from this week's Google Event were topics rounding out the show. Carl's Geeks of the Week were Learn with League (League of Legends eSports Expansion) and the Nebula Capsule Projector (great for a multiscreen classroom experience.) Wes' Geeks of the Week were YellKey (time limited real word link shortener) and TinEye (reverse image search.) Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 150

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 11:50:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 150 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 2, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed newly announced hardware from this week's Microsoft event, security concerns over the latest way to add Google Apps to Huawei smartphones, and the implications of a recent New York Times expose of the horrific proliferation of images of sexual abuse of children online. Exciting and important announcements from Google focusing on protecting your privacy online, managing your passwords, and checking existing passwords saved with Google against a database of known breaches / compromised were also highlighted. Additional article topics included newly announced efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to crack down on White Supremacists, Andrew Yang's policy platform announcement on protecting digital data as personal property, and the media literacy education importance of imagery shared online of China's 70 year birthday of the Communist Party with increased street violence in consecutive week 17 of youth led protests in Hong Kong. Newly announced jailbreak exploits to older versions of iOS / the iPhone operating system were also discussed, along with the perils of jailbreaking / rooting your smartphone. Geeks of the week included a superb post by Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne) about digital storytelling tools for students, Auto Update Expiration (AUE) dates for ChromeOS / Chromebooks, and an excellent article explaining the difference between Chromium and ChromiumOS. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 149

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 12:38:10 GMT

Welcome to episode 149 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 25, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new Alexa / smart assistant powered product announcements from Amazon, including lots of new smart speakers, a ring for your finger and smart glasses for your nose. Media Literacy news and articles included "Deep Fakes and Cheap Fakes," a new report from Data and Society, Ukraine-based Facebook disinformation and propaganda campaigns, and a reminder about the SIFT (the four moves) media literacy framework from Mike Caulfield (@holden) and the Digital Polarization Project. iOS 13.1 updates, amazing reports of the camera quality of the iPhone 11 Pro, the 11th birthday of Android, and update news from Google on ChromeOS and Pixelbooks were also highlighted. A warning about newly discovered Android phone app security vulnerabilities, Instagram's efforts to empower the victims of bullying with new app features, a new screentime report finding no correlation for teens to academic performance, and an interesting geoengineering article about weather modification via technology tools ("hail cannons") rounded out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included a good CNET article on home WiFi router basics, good for anyone looking to upgrade soon, and the free "Image Size" iOS app. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 148

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 11:36:02 GMT

Welcome to episode 148 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 11, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Jason's favorite smartphone weather app (Dark Sky,) the wide range of pricing available now for iPhones from Apple, whether the telephoto lens on the new iPhone 11 Pro justifies the cost, expected announcements from Google about new Pixel smartphones, and announced arcade game support on AppleTV for 3rd party controllers. An identified LastPass password manager identified security vulnerability, an update from the cell phone robocall wars, and the hoopla as well as social-media inspired responses to the podcasting app and platform PocketCasts announcing updates with a paid tier subscription. Resources from the recent podcasting conference in Oklahoma City, the incredible revenue of Chinese podcasts (which are entirely subscription-based), the (likely) predictable demise of MoviePass, and the story of a Macedonian hacker takeover of a pro-Trump Veteran focused Facebook page rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included screencasting tools Loom, SnagIt, and Screencastify. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 147

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 03:03:24 GMT

Welcome to episode 147 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 11, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's announcements at their September 10th event, reasons to never trust a free VPN, the option to report spam in Google Calendar, cyberattack woes in Flagstaff, Arizona schools, and a reminder of why people are still the number one attack vector for cybercriminals. The attempt by Saudi Arabia to improve their global image by utilizing social media influencers, the prospect of using the inexpensive Raspberry Pi 4 as a desktop computer replacement, and the basics of the new USB 4 standard were also discussed. The transformation of China's tech sector from copycats into innovators was explored, along with "Geeks of the Week" including the Bon Appétit channel on YouTube, and WordCloud generators Word It Out and Voyant Tools. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 146

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 03:24:59 GMT

Welcome to episode 146 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 4, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the release of Android 10, Carl Hooker's (@mrhooker) recent Twitter conversation and blog post on why banning smartphones in the classroom is a bad idea, and lessons we should all learn about security following the hack of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's account. Imposter sellers and FCC-illegal cell phone signal boosters on Amazon, Apple's forthcoming September 10th event with rumors of a new iPhone, and the "deep fake" Zao iOS app craze in China were also highlighted. Microsoft's October 2 Surface event and more warnings for Windows10 updates were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included the amazing app "Genius Scan" for both Android and iOS, Wes' free Flipboard magazine "iReading," and Wonder Links shared on Wes' new curriculum and lesson website for school. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 145

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 03:56:52 GMT

Welcome to episode 145 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 28, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed lengthening consumer smartphone replacement purchase patterns, Android's switch to more boring OS names, and laments from teachers about "students these days not reading anymore." The different ways music is used to shape political perceptions in the United States and India / Kashmir, China's use of LinkedIn for spy recruitment, advocacy for continued permissiveness by YouTube for uploaded content, and emerging social credit systems in both China and Silicon Valley were also highlighted. The implications of Tumblr's recent purchase by Automattic, Dell's release of enterprise quality Chromebooks, cyberattacks in Denver, and the purchase of LittleBits by Sphero rounded out the week's discussed articles. Geeks of the week included Microsoft's new app "Your Phone" and the podcast "Your Undivided Attention" episode, "With Great Power Comes…No Responsibility?" Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 144

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 11:52:44 GMT

Welcome to episode 144 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 14, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Congressional interest in addressing the "digital divide" in the U.S. between rural and urban areas, a "sign of the times" story of a teen resorting to the use of IoT devices (including the family refrigerator) to contact friends and followers via Twitter, and the radicalizing influence of YouTube in Brazilian politics. Apple's MacOS changes warning users of dire consequences if a 3rd party battery is installed in a laptop, falling iPhone sales, and the implications of Apple's slow transition to services from hardware sales for profits and the education sector were also highlighted. The availability of "Course Kit" for the assignment functions using Google Drive files in LMS platforms like Moodle, the role (and attempted prevented role) of telecommunication services in ongoing civil unrest in both Hong Kong and Kashmir, and the emergence of Harmony OS from Huawei to potentially replace "regular" AndroidOS on Chinese phones were topics rounding on the show. Geeks of the week included AlgoTransparency (a tool providing a window into how YouTube's video recommendation engine / algorithm works) and an update on CloudReadyHome Addition. This episode was our second show to use StreamYard.com as well as Restream.io to both live stream and archive our show simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 143

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 11:29:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 143 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 31, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s proposed "SMART Act" (the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology Act), the state of adblocking online in mid-2019, and amazing developments in the world of eSports with a recent Fortnight payout of over $30 million for a single tournament. Apple's quarterly announcements including its continued transition to services for revenue, the implications of those trends for Apple portable hardware in schools, and ChromeOS updates including facial recognition "face unlock" as well as continued changes to default Flash support were also highlighted. Additional headlines analyzed during the show included FaceApp's terms of service and privacy implications for users, the FTC's class action lawsuit settlement against Equifax, Google's banning of certain DIY advertisements for iFixIt, continued calls for smartphone backdoor encryption by the US Department of Justice, and an incredible "classified artificial brain" project underway by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in the United States. Geeks of the Week included the "Unreal Mobile" smartphone service, the new website ""Hack the Moon," and the podcast "Your Undivided Attention." With the impending demise of "Google Hangouts on Air" for YouTube Live, this was our first show to use ScreenYard.com as well as Restream.io to both live stream and archive our show simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 142

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:27:14 GMT

Welcome to episode 142 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 24, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed why data privacy is complicated, the FTC's $5 billion fine of Facebook, the limitations of SMS for 2 factor authentication (2FA) / multi-factor authentication (MFA), and exciting recent Apollo 11 50 year anniversary moon landing media coverage. Updates to Google's smartwatch software (WearOS) as well as ChromeOS, Apple's expected announcement of its new $3000 MacBook portable, the return of MDM-powered parental control apps like MyPact to the iOS App Store, and Apple's pleas to avoid 25% tariffs on Chinese manufactured electronic components were also highlighted. The increasingly fractured landscape of podcasting (sadly coming to a walled garden paid app near you,) the prospect of "Peak Podcast" time, and Jason's recent experiences with the wild world of urban electric scooters (where "the repo man" now thrives) were discussed with a remarkable tone of clarity laced with humor. Geeks of the Week included the DarkNet Diaries podcast (@darknetdiaries) and the "Timeline" tool from the Knight Foundation. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 141

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 03:48:43 GMT

Welcome to episode 141 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 17, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the forthcoming commercial release of Boston Robotics' "Spot" robot, Jony Ive's announced departure from Apple, updates to the Apple portable laptops, and Amazon's policy to basically keep user audio recordings from Alexa forever. Privacy concerns over the new FaceApp smartphone app, kids bullied into spending money in Fortnite, a Citizen's Guide to Fake News, and the power of social media influencers were also explored. Additional topics included the possible return of Google Glass to help autistic children, YouTube educational playlists without recommended videos, and 'the toxic potential of YouTube's feedback loop.' Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 140

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 15:55:13 GMT

Welcome to episode 140 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 26, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed options for live webinars like ours when YouTube's "Hangouts on Air" goes away later this year, exciting updates to ChromeOS, Google's addition of media literacy lessons to its free digital citizenship curriculum, and the theoretical cost of an advertisement-free Internet. Additional topics included privacy protecting web browser options, Bill Gates regrets concerning Microsoft's mobile phone operating system, journalism lobbyists pandering Congress for protective legislation from Google and Facebook, and the perils of public referendums on complicated economic and political issues. Geeks of the week included the "Bunk 1" app which utilizes impressive (and somewhat creepy) facial recognition for summer camp students, and the benefits of following app / service hashtags on Twitter. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 139

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 01:40:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 139 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 19, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed tips for both attendees and virtual learners during the 2019 International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) Conference in Philadelphia next week. Additional topics included updates from Google Education, hopeful news on Google reversing its proposal to end support of ad blockers in Chrome, and the imminent release of Google Stadia and streamed gaming to any device (including smartphones and Chromebooks.) Techniques used by Hong Kong protesters to organize using secure communication apps and masks to avoid facial surveillance technologies, another critical warning for users of older Microsoft Windows operating systems, and signs the U.S. electrical grid control systems have been compromised by hackers were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included the XDA Developer's website for Android early adopters and a recent TWiT Triangulation podcast interview with Brian Hofer on Facial Recognition and Surveillance Technology. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 138

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:05:07 GMT

Welcome to episode 138 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 12, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's June 2019 event announcements, more rumblings of forthcoming tech giant regulations, Microsoft's official pronouncement that "mandatory password changing is “ancient and obsolete," and much more. Geeks of the Week included the Good eReader Blog and a recent War College podcast episode about the US Navy's revised policy on UFO reporting. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 137

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 02:45:18 GMT

Welcome to episode 137 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 6, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment, so Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) welcomed special guest Dave Quinn (@EduQuinn) to break down some of the technology headlines from recent weeks. Topics addressed included YouTube's important policy change regarding censorship of hate speech, including the "SIFT Approach" (Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace) for media literacy by Mike Caufield, and Mike's recent post on the "Curation/Search Radicalization Spiral." The 30 year anniversary of Tiananmen Square, Tiananmen's "Take Man" image (perhaps the most heavily censored photo on our planet today), and a few updates from Apple's WWDC 2019 conference this week were also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included Doug Belshaw's (@dajbelshaw) "Thought Shrapnel" website, a good spirited video Boeing about AirBus, a new Google report on emerging education trends, and the free K-2 reading / eBook site Rivet. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 136

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 31 May 2019 05:12:07 GMT

Welcome to episode 136 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 29, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed school cybersecurity, a shocking iPhone security vulnerability for WhatsApp, NASA's free media library, and copyright issues in Houston ISD as well as for YouTube Creators. Distorted political videos about Nancy Pelosi, Google's disappointing move to disable 'modern browser ad blocking extensions,' and the new iPod Touch from Apple were also discussed. The availability of "Adobe Premiere Rush" for Android, Chromebook support expiration dates, and projected price increases for cheap Chromebooks were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included a Google Home podcast mystery, the killer robot documentary, "Slaughterbots," and the “Against the Rules” podcast, from Michael Lewis. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 135

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 23 May 2019 04:33:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 135 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 22, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the threat posed by cyberattacks in the airline industry, a recent ransomware attack on Oklahoma City Public Schools (@okcps), and revelations of Google storing passwords as plaintext for over a decade. Wes discussed some of his takeaways from a recent Oklahoma education cybersecurity workshop, the importance of cybersecurity jobs, continued troubles with Microsoft Windows10 updates, and the security value of adding a recovery phone number to your Google account. The announced ban of Chinese telecommunications technologies from the US Government this week affecting Huawei (among other companies), the US Supreme Court ruling against Apple involving their App Store monopoly lawsuit, ChromeOS news from Adobe, and some eye opening statistics about eSports and the earnings of young gamers rounded out the show topics. Geeks of the Week included SuperHosts from AirBnB, TextExpander for Chrome, and a great video from Derek Muller (@veritasium) explaining big changes to the YouTube algorithm affecting creators, viewers, and the overall quality of YouTube video content. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 134

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 17 May 2019 03:21:55 GMT

Welcome to episode 134 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 15, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a touching video about Google Lens and literacy from Google I/O and the winners of the NPR student podcasting challenge. Jason provided a review of his new Google Pixel 3A smartphone, and the surprise announced end of "branded accounts" within GSuite for Education was highlighted. Other discussed topics included Facebook's fight to protect EU elections, post-Christchurch shooting efforts to curtail terrorist content online, and San Francisco ordinances shining light on facial recognition technology use by local police forces. The FCC's proposed rule change for carriers to block cellular network robocalls, a new website hack compromising eCommerce web forms, and the security threat of IoT devices were subjects rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included the app and website Hopper for travel deal shopping, the "Better Angels" organization seeking to politically depolarize the United States, and ISTE's new certification program for educators. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 133

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 11 May 2019 19:31:55 GMT

Welcome to episode 133 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 8, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed lots of news from this week's Google I/O Conference. Topics included Google's renewed focus on user privacy, shift in focus from search and answers to productivity, improved digital well-being tools, the mid-range price Pixel 3A smartphone, and the amazing "Google Lens" text to speech as well as translation capabilities. On the Microsoft front, the return of "PowerToys" to Windows10 and forthcoming support for Linux were discussed. Additional topics included NASA's robotic detection of an earthquake on Mars, the election of a well known comedian (with no prior political experience) to the presidency in Ukraine thanks in part to social media, and the productivity drag of business communication apps like Slack. The failure of Energizer's 18K mAh smartphone was also highlighted. Geeks of the week included a two part episode on the Chinese Surveillance State from the New York Times "The Daily" podcast, freely licensed photos from Wes and many other photographers on UnSplash, and the personal finance automation service, "Trim." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 132

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 11:24:58 GMT

Welcome to episode 132 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 24, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent headlines highlighting the dangers of USB-borne malware as well as "USB Killer" devices maliciously used on a college campus to destroy computers. The recent, courageous talk shared by Carole Cadwalladr on the TED stage calling for Facebook and Google executives to account for their platforms' breaking of liberal democracy, pending FTC fines of Facebook and exciting commercial robots from Boston Dynamics we also discussed. On the Google front, enhancements to Google Sheets, an expended free tier for Google Play Music, and the arrival of a more robust YouTube app on the Amazon Fire Stick were highlighted. In Chrome news, HP's 15 inch Chromebook and an exciting lineup of ChromeOS sessions at Google I/O in about a week were discussed. The ongoing controversy over mandatory cursive handwriting instruction in schools, changes to the Windows10 update process including further crippling of third party antivirus software, and exciting news in the world of podcasting were also addressed in the show. A lawsuit against Apple involving facial recognition gone bad in Apple Stores was also mentioned. Geeks of the Week included a great tip for recording audio in noisy classrooms, promising new software from an Apple developer (Agenda) for project management and personal notetaking, Google Chrome's free remote desktop software options. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 131

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 18 Apr 2019 11:45:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 131 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 17, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed proposed changes to the way Twitter is designed and works, the challenges of online discussion / dialog, buzz around the release of the Samsung Fold Android smartphone, and the continuing DNS hacks on core Internet infrastructure. Inexpensive facial recognition machines, Google location data in the hands of law enforcement, and harassment on WikiPedia rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included the free textbook "Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers," Wes' Mastondon profile address (mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) and the hilarious episode 140 of the Reply All podcast titled, "The Roman Mars Mazda Virus." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 130

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 03:53:51 GMT

Welcome to episode 130 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 10, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed YouTube's challenges moderating objectionable content, the human costs of that content moderation, and the incredibly hostile digital infrastructure which is now online amplifying that content for apparently malicious purposes. HUD's new lawsuit against Facebook for illegally targeted housing advertisements, and privacy and security challenges posted by pre-installed apps on Android were also discussed. Exciting recent Google announcements were highlighted including native editing of MS Office documents via Google Docs, forthcoming 3rd party add-ons to GSuite, and improvements to Hangouts Chat now integrated with Gmail were also discussed. From Chromebook land, the exciting announcement of a new #MadeByGoogle Chromebook, and Apple's expected "reinvention" of MagSafe power adapters for USB-C devices were explored. Microsoft's announced closure of its eBook store, the futuristic and arguably dystopian U.S. Army version of Microsoft's Hololens platform, an intriguing SxSW musical performance utilizing sensorware, and the "Share No Evil" Chrome extension created in response to the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included resources for Wes' upcoming ATLIS workshop "Filtering the ExoFlood," the free eBook "Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers," Gobo.social, and the 2019 Webby's. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 129

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 12:32:49 GMT

Welcome to episode 129 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 3, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed more technology links than should technically be "legal" for a free #edtech podcast. Topics included the NSO Group and Pegasus iPhone malware and the proliferation of Android-based pre-installed apps posing privacy and security issues. Dangers anticipated via the upcoming bi-annual Windows10 update from Microsoft, Chromium browser benefits on Windows, and another Facebook data breach affecting over 500 million users were also analyzed. Google news included the 15th birthday of Gmail, new features including canned responses and scheduled messages, the effect of Google's regular killing of its digital children (documented on killedbygoogle.com), and Google's 2019 April Fool's Day jokes. A shotgun wielding flying drone in Russia, prospects for a renewable hydrogen-based economy, and Mark Zuckerberg's latest attempt to apologize for his privacy transgressions rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included Outline VPN, Daily Digital Alchemy (the next iteration of "The Daily Create" by Alan Levine,) free security awareness posters from SANS, a "Smarter Every Day" video series on YouTube weaponization, and a poignant letter by an Apple employee about alleged illegal searches by US homeland security officials at the US border involving his iPhone and MacOS laptop. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 128

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 02:38:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 128 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 27, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed how amazing Garageband software continues to be, this past week's Apple Event announcements, implications of Article 13's passage in the EU for user created content, freedom of expression, and the potential of a further fractured global Internet. Additional topics included MacBook keyboard reliability issues, Google's Stadia announcement for streaming games, Microsoft's imminent end of Windows7 support, the popularity of Google Docs among teens for chat at school, and the importance of China's long term strategy to dominate the global digital economy via Huawei and governmental policies. Geeks of the week were plentiful, including AirBnB versus Hilton comparisons, AirBnB superhosts, ScreenCloud digital signage, responses and protection against email phishing, Google home WiFi, the most amazing video (on storytelling and storytellers) from Apple's Event, and FloorPlanner.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 127

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 02:48:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 127 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 7, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google's new Chromebook App Hub website, OpenAI's decision to NOT share a new AI text generator, and Microsoft's forthcoming "Windows Lite" operating system. Dipayan Ghosh & Ben Scott's advocacy to promote intelligent regulation of Facebook and other Silicon Valley companies enabling "precision propaganda" was also highlighted, along with ways outrage over common threats can hijack parents' common sense. Facebook's declining US user base, Facebook's announcement to emphasize point-to-point "ephemeral" messaging, and SpaceX's recent success launching its Dragon crew module were also discussed. The future of "the technology correction" and our prospects for changing the "Surveillance Capitalism" model of many Silicon Valley companies, implications of the Huawei CFO extradition controversy, and the importance of media literacy in our age of fake news were additional topics. Updates to the PocketCasts app for Android, the addictive math-focused multiplayer app Prodigy, the gloomy prospects for BotNet death in the near future, the importance of unlimited data plans in the forthcoming 5G data environment, and the importance of carefully using "freemium" software platforms at school rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included an 18,000 mAh battery powered Android phone from Energizer, a fantastic video from Linda Yollis (@lindayollis) on improving student blogging quality, and Wes' planned ATLIS 2019 bootcamp workshop "Filtering the ExoFlood". Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 126

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 05:06:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 126 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 28, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on assignment at the NCCE Conference in Seattle. In this episode, Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and Beth Holland (@brholland) discussed baby duck syndrome, resources by PBS Learning Media including "The Cat in the Hat" online, and what's revealed about student perceptions when they "draw a scientist." Additional topics included the upcoming April 14-17, 2019 ATLIS Conference in Dallas, danah boyd's book, "It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens," and the work of Lisa Gurnsey (@lisaguernsey) on the important roles of "media mentors." Beth also shared a shout out for Yong Zhao's book, "What Works May Hurt―Side Effects in Education." Geeks of the week included the websites Pexels and Unsplash for copyright-free images, and the COSN Digital Equity Project. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 125

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 20:58:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 125 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 13, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the death of NASA's Mars Opportunity rover, cybersecurity incidents in K12 schools, weak U.S. government enforcement of privacy laws, and criticism of both Apple and Google for allowing Saudi men to use apps to track and oppress women. Controversy over developer use of iOS screen recording capabilities, the unlimited powers of Israeli officials to surveil and utilize personal information of citizens without judicial oversight, and Cisco's push for privacy regulation were also addressed. The upcoming March 25th Apple event, Amazon's purchase of mesh router company Eero, and Flickr's extension for users to upgrade to Pro accounts or face image library deletion were other article headlines mentioned in the show. More analysis of Spotify's podcast company purchases and the implications that could have for openly syndicated podcasts and a variety of ChromeOS updates from Jason (including forthcoming "virtual desks," new themes and native PDF annotation rounded out the show. Wes' Geeks of the Week were the Great Questions list / website from Storycorps and a new Google Phishing Quiz, great to share with your colleagues, students and family members. Jason's Geek of the Week was "The Wirecutter." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 124

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 18:43:32 GMT

Welcome to episode 124 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 6, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed YouTube's most recent letter to Creators, Google's Jigsaw project which uses AI to help human moderators identify toxic posts which violate community standards, and the Japanese government's plans to hack into citizen's IoT devices to update firmware. Additional topics included Spotify's recent acquisitions of Gimlet Media and Anchor, predictions for podcasting in 2019, and the woes of crypto currency investors when the only person with the controlling password dies unexpectedly. The Google Chrome extension "Password Checkup," ChromeOS instant tethering, impressive digital revenue for the New York Times, and an interview with Ray Kurzweil about our evolutionary trajectory as humans to merge with our computers rounded out the show's articles. Wes' Geek of the Week was the PBS video, "What a Smell Looks Like." Jason's Geek of the Week was "Hot Pod News." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 123

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:07:50 GMT

Welcome to episode 123 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 30, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the advance of YouTube's local video content, Google's attempt to address conspiracy / outlier content on YouTube, and the new Gmail app for Android and iOS. The global decline in smartphone sales, the expectation smartphones are going to "get weird" to boost sales, Google's efforts to address website validity confusion by consumers, and companies attempting to turn surveillance capitalism's economic model upside down were also discussed. On the security front, recent comparison studies of paid versus free antivirus software suites, Facebook's apps and campaigns to wiretap teenage behavior and pay teens for their data, and Apple's privacy Facetime snafu were also explored. Companies (like Square) pushing Chromebooks across their enterprise as primary computers for employees (even designers!), the Pinebook Linux laptop, and an extraordinary claim from Israeli scientists that genomics will cure cancer worldwide within 12 months rounded up this week's show topics. Geeks of the week included YouTube TV, Dell Command Update, video editing software ClipChamp, and Digi.me. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 122

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 05:19:23 GMT

Welcome to episode 122 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 23, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed highlights from the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and a series of articles further highlighting our ongoing "Technology Correction." These included a new fine for Google because of GDPR, and an excellent podcast interview with Shoshana Zuboff (@shoshanazuboff) about her new book, "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power." Controversy at the University of Oklahoma over a student-created racist video, the precipitous stock value crash of Apple over the past quarter, and Chinese School use of AI-powered facial recognition to take attendance in classes. Google's recent purchase of Fossil's smartwatch division, the possibility that Facebook's recent '10 Year Challenge' is a clever way to build an even greater catalog of surveillance data about people worldwide, and several other articles touching on privacy issues and concerns rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included the 140 character math function visualization platform Dwitter, and the upcoming NCCE Digital Leadership Summit in Seattle. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 121

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 05:58:38 GMT

Welcome to episode 121 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 10, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the implications of Apple's disappointing earnings projection for the first quarter of 2019, Baratunde Thurston's Tech Manifesto addressing how we should protect data privacy, and the intense technological as well as economic struggles underway between the United States and China, specifically via the Chinese company Huawei. In addition, Jason highlighted a variety of technology announcements and developments from the 2019 Computer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Geeks of the week included Tiles and the MacOS program Amphetamine. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 120

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 22:29:17 GMT

Welcome to episode 120 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 3, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed 2018 "Tech Report Cards" from the Verge on Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft. The proliferation of bots and fake content online, and the challenges this presents for online media metrics as well as media literacy, was highlighted. The release of thousands of works into the public domain in the United States, thanks to the non-renewal of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, and an instance of ground-breaking brain surgery rounded out topics for the show. Geeks of the week included an article sharing tips for getting the most out of your Amazon Kindle eReader, and the open source software Burn for MacOS. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 119

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 15:07:22 GMT

Welcome to episode 119 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 26, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed copyright and intellectual property issues on the Teachers Pay Teachers (@tptdotcom) website, YouTube creator backlash amidst other "trust issues" with Google, and the challenges of radicalization and "outlier content" on YouTube based on its attention-maximizing algorithms. Continuing warnings from U.S. security officials to avoid Huawei smartphones and telecommunications gear because of the Chinese government's hacking threat, the four variations of recommended 2 step verification for account security, and the promise of podcasting for the "slow democracy movement" were also highlighted and explored. Amazing recent space photos of the planet Jupiter, China's ongoing space exploration milestones on the moon, disclosure challenges for Instagram creators for paid advertising, and the power of Fortnite as a social media hangout were other topics addressed in the show. The advent of autonomous / AI powered databases by Oracle and the upcoming release of HTML 5 compliant Scratch 3.0 software rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included a wonderful (and inexpensive) sketch journal from Michael's (via Jason) and the printed photo book service of Motif for Apple Photos users (via Wes). Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 118

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:44:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 118 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 12, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) co-hosted a special episode titled, the 2018 Technology Shopping Cart! They shared and discussed a variety of different technology and geek oriented gift ideas. Gift categories included smartphone stuff, The Internet of Things (IoT), books, robots, STEM/STEAM lab, miscellaneous gadgets, home networking equipment, photography and videography, software, nerd paper gear, baggage, stocking stuffers, and other ideas. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 117

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 13:43:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 117 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 5, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included Microsoft's embrace of Chromium for their Windows10 web browser, the death of the Edge Browser, best choices on Mac laptops for schools after October's special Apple event, and the perils of YouTube networks for content creators. The recent unfortunate content filtering / inappropriate content access situation on a Chromebook in Ridgewood Schools, New Jersey, reasons most doctors seem to hate their computer systems at work, Rudy Giuliani recent demonstration of Twitter ignorance, and a recent, amazing robot video from Boston Dynamics rounded out the show. We did have some technical glitches for about two minutes in the middle of this show, but that portion has been edited out of the downloadable audio and video versions posted here. Geeks of the week included TechSoup for nonprofits and an excellent podcast series on "The Daily" by the New York Times, "What The West Got Wrong About China." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Next week's show will our holiday "Technology Shopping Cart" episode, check our shownotes for a link to our publicly editable Google Doc so you can share your own holiday tech tips for Santa!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 116

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 23:50:53 GMT

Welcome to episode 116 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 29, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included the continued growth of mobile broadband connectivity worldwide, the expanded availability of Google Fi, and varying opinions about Google's new Pixel Slate tablet. The milestone last week of Microsoft surpassing Apple as the world's most valuable company, Microsoft's HoloLens AR goggle contract with the U.S. Army, and the scientist who defied the international community by using CRISPR to genetically engineer a human baby were also discussed. OpEds about the unpredictability of Internet effects as shown by the popularity of chess as an online spectator sport, and the rise of "surveillance capitalism" via targeted advertising were also highlighted. The successful landing of the Insight space probe on Mars this week and Europe's threat to shut down Google News by charging for linking to 3rd party news websites were topics rounding out the show. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 115

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 20:33:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 115 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 21, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included the recent outages of cloud services including Microsoft's Azure Active Directory and LastPass Password Manager, and multiple signs of "The Technology Correction." These included calls for regulating Facebook, surveys showing many young computer scientists do not want to work for Facebook, and Facebook's apparent inability to regulate / fix itself. Processor upgrades to the Samsung Chromebook Plus, the enduring value of Google Pixelbooks, and Black Friday week deals on Pixelbooks were also discussed. On the security front, a new, stealthy Russian hacking tool, a phishing test tool, the first amendment and Facebook, and student protests over Facebook's sponsored learning management system "Summit Learning" were also discussed. The use of streetlight concealed cameras by US security agencies and the viability of the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included T-Mobile's One Plus Plan (great for international travel) and a technique for bypassing news website free article limits with browser incognito mode. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 114

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 12:29:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 114 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 14, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included college students at UC Berkeley developing browser extensions to identify political bot accounts on social media, prospects for liberal democracy portrayed in PBS Frontline's recent series "The Facebook Dilemma," and issues of both trust and due process involving Facebook, content takedowns and smart assistants like Alexa and Google Home. Microsoft's problems with recent Windows10 updates and its new crowdsourced feedback process for updates, and new research on the value of doodling for learning and retention were also discussed with a shout out to Sylvia Duckworth's (@sylviaduckworth) new book on sketchnoting. The "Shift Happens" video series 10 years later, problems with drone videos and wildlife harassment, Google's pleas to content creators to help oppose new copyright legislation in Europe, and a Mozilla report identifying the "creepiest" tech gifts this holiday season from a privacy / surveillance standpoint rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included FFWorks / FFMpeg for video encoding, Thankful Bot from the Noun Project, a funny U.S. election meme on Twitter, and the virtual keyboard project CopyChar. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 113

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 04:08:57 GMT

Welcome to episode 113 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 7, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and special guest Jason Kern (@jasonmkern) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included virtual reality in the classroom, the use of social media worldwide to radicalize politics, hardware updates from Apple's special event last week, and our need for media literacy everywhere. Anya Kamenetz' excellent response article, "What the Times got wrong about kids and phones" was also highlighted. Professional courtesy with cell phones at meetings and in the classroom, the NetFlix documentary "The Eighties," and Flickr's important announcement about free and pro accounts rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included free "Unity" software licenses for schools, Raspberry Pi projects, the browser extension "OneTab," and the "Pulse" SMS app on Android. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 112

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 01:57:11 GMT

Welcome to episode 112 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 24, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and special guest Jennifer Carey (@thejencarey) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Co-host Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on special assignment. Topics highlighted in this week's show included data privacy, the "hackability" of the human mind, the recent FBI warning on student data privacy, and Tim Cook's recent criticism of Silicon Valley over privacy. Additional topics included a U.S. cyberoperation against Russia aimed at protecting U.S. elections, the book "Algorithms of Oppression" by Safiya Umoja Noble, and fake news surrounding the death of Jamal Khashoggi. Geeks of the week included CoSpaces Edu, "PD in the Privy" by Cyndi Kuhn, Digital Citizenship presentations for students by Wes, and tips from the Family Online Safety Institute for cleaning up your digital footprint. Check out our shownotes on edtechSR.com/links. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. Note we will not have a show next week on Halloween, but will be back on November 7th with special guest, Jason Kern!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 111

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 11:08:24 GMT

Welcome to episode 111 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 17, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and special guest Beth Holland (@brholland) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens, as well as a variety of educational issues relating to digital citizenship and digital equity. Co-host Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on special assignment. Topics highlighted in this week's show included algorithmic literacy, privacy, digital equity, digital citizenship, media literacy, digital literacy, Internet safety, digital citizenship week, and more. Other topics included the National Educational Technology Plan, the ongoing code wars between nation states, and the power of social networks / human connections in unlocking opportunity and innovation. The digital divide in rural America, the perils of IoT cameras in our homes, the Media Education Lab's Mind over Media Project, Imagineering in Storytelling, and geomaps of Lewis and Clark's journey of discovery rounded out the week's topics. Check out our shownotes on edtechSR.com/links. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. Note we will be starting earlier than usual occasionally to accommodate guest schedules in upcoming weeks, so please check Twitter for those updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 110

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 11:38:34 GMT

Welcome to episode 110 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 10, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and special guest Jun Kim (@mpstechnology) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Co-host Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on special assignment. Topics highlighted in this week's show included the alleged hack of computer hardware by Chinese authorities affecting major tech companies including Apple and Amazon, which is very controversial and has been firmly denied by technology companies as well as government agencies. The dangers of connecting to open WiFi in public spaces, ways to avoid phishing scams in email, and the benefits of using password managers as well as a VPN or cell phone access point / phone tethering were also discussed. Robocalls on the rise, Google's changes to third party data access for Gmail, the prospect of Google enforcing restrictive limitations on data sharing around the world because of country-specific laws, and Google's Certification program for IT professionals were also discussed by Jun and Wes. Briefly highlighted articles at the end of the show included the Google Pixel 3 and it's touted capability to screen phone calls using an AI voice agent and Facebook's challenges in moderating content worldwide. Geeks of the week included the COSN toolkit on protecting student data and FlowCrypt for sending encrypted email within Gmail. Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. Note we will be starting earlier than usual occasionally to accommodate guest schedules in upcoming weeks, so please check Twitter for those updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 109

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 11:43:59 GMT

Welcome to episode 109 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 3, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and special guest Tye Campbell (@TyeJCampbell) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Co-host Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on special assignment. Topics highlighted in this week's show included the recent "Presidential Emergency Text Alert," paging and alert messaging at school, and Apple's latest iOS 12 which brings improved performance at the price of faster battery consumption. The new screentime monitoring tools in iOS12, school conversations on digital citizenship relating to character education, and school partnerships with "The Social Institute" helping students, faculty and parents embrace a balanced approach to social media in technology were also discussed. A shout out to ATLIS (The Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools) and their upcoming conference in April 2019 in Dallas, net neutrality in light of new European legislation relating to "the right to be forgotten" and the GDPR, protection of personal information / privacy, and digital identity verification via Yubikey were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included iOS 12 Screen Time Controls (Tye) and recommended actions for scholars who are victims of online trolling (Wes). Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. Note we will be starting earlier than usual occasionally to accommodate guest schedules in upcoming weeks, so please check Twitter for those updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 108

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 11:31:18 GMT

Welcome to episode 108 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 26, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and special guest Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin) discussed the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Co-host Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on special assignment. Topics highlighted in this week's show included Microsoft's MakeCode resources, the crooked path of a YouTube star to fan fame on new media platforms, and the emergence of "deep fake" videos. If we had a show title based on the show conversations, it would likely be Miguel's comment, "The boy turned away from Linux, I thought he was doomed!" Miguel and Wes also discussed the importance of students learning how to effectively and responsibly create video today, the recent European Human Rights Court ruling finding the mass surveillance of Great Britain's GHCQ intelligence organization illegal that was originally highlighted by Edward Snowden, and the prospect of worldwide surveillance through drone monitoring. The Australian government's new anti-encryption legislation, an FBI alarm on student data privacy, the launch of FireFox's "Privacy Monitor," and the feared demise of Evernote as a notetaking cloud platform were also discussed. Miguel set a new global record for podcast "Geek of the Week" shares, including Paranoia Works for personal encryption of data, the book Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez, Glary Utilities for WindowsOS management, an Amazing 1Note Link from Microsoft, the TCEA TechNotes Blog, and Joplin Notes. Wes' Geek of the Week was "Learning Creative Learning," a Free online course by MIT Media Lab starting 9 Oct 2018. Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. Note we will be starting earlier than usual occasionally to accommodate guest schedules in upcoming weeks, so please check Twitter for those updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 107

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 11:25:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 106 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 12, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the days announcements from Cupertino at the special Apple Event including Apple Watch 4 and 3 new iPhone models. The forthcoming iOS 12 and the benefits of the new Apple watch providing ECG / EKG data which is FDA approved was highlighted. Under the heading of "Social Media Correction," Jason and Wes discussed an fascinating and in-depth article from the New Yorker focusing on the challenges faced by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook in moderate content for 2.2 billion people worldwide, and specifically the impact that is having on democratic processes and institutions. The banning of Alex Jones by both Apple and Facebook, and the devastating impacts of false rumors spread via social media in Myanmar, India and Brazil were also discussed. The public availability of mind-blowingly high resolution maps of Antarctica, The FCC's "pause" of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, the ongoing exploration of our "Red Planet" by robots amidst the challenge of a summer planet-wide dust storm, and Twitter's release of audio-only broadcasting options rounded out the articles in this week's shortened show. Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 106

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 11:24:49 GMT

Welcome to episode 106 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 5, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) reflected on the 20th anniversary of Google and the 10th anniversary of the Chrome web browser, and the long way we've come in the ensuing years. Other topics included "the technology correction" with an excellent article arguing for the breakup of Facebook based on current U.S. anti-trust law, proposed revisions to anti-trust law which could be applied to large technology companies including Facebook, Amazon, Google and Apple, and this week's Congressional testimony by technology leaders in Washington D.C. The ethical dimensions of corporate developed and sold spyware, the question of liability for developers when their spyware is used by governments against human rights advocates and political opponents, and the ongoing advocacy by Western governments for security "back doors" in technology platforms were also discussed. The threat posed by new European copyright laws to the open Internet, Apple's upcoming event on September 12th and leaks suggesting new iPhone models and a 4th generation Apple watch, and the success of the Google Pixelbook in sparking the availability of higher end Chromebooks rounded out the show's articles. Geeks of the Week included the GeoMap website and application Relive, and CloudReady by Neverware for breathing new Chrome life into older computers. Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 105

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 03:04:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 105 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 29, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the challenges of filtering / censoring Internet content at school and now (in the U.K.) at a national level through ISPs. The privacy perils and potential subpoena conflicts relating to cell phone location tracking, the ethical challenges of "native advertising" in podcasts, rumors of Apple removing 3D touch in forthcoming iPhones, and the security danger of sideloading Fortnight software on Android devices were also discussed. Final topics included the monstrous challenges facing Facebook in moderating user generated content on its platform worldwide for 2 billion people and the way Facebook is adopting a trustworthy scale for users in its fight against fake news. Geeks of the week included the Stikbot Studio app for iOS, Google Assistant's "Tell me something good" new feature, YouTube's new built-in screen monitoring / management tools, and the keyboard shortcut Control/Command K in Google Docs to add links. Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 104

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 03:44:11 GMT

Welcome to episode 104 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 22, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the impact of social media platforms on journalism and the ascendency of China seeking to influence global Internet standards. Rumors of Apple updates to the Mac Mini, a browser extension to identify fake news, the amplified burnout of Elon Musk on Twitter, the "right to disconnect," and a tense meeting at Google discussing China plans while an employee live-tweeted the event were also highlighted and analyzed. Geeks of the Week included the Amazon Firestick (great for hotel travel), the SurfSafe browser extension, ways you should "Treat your passwords like your underwear," and a free podcasting course sponsored by the Knight Foundation. Check out edtechSR.com/links for all shownotes, including those listed below. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 103

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 11:22:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 103 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 15, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed universities deploying smart assistants in student dorms to answer questions, the privacy concerns of smart assistants in educational contexts, and the shortcomings of the latest MacBook Pro laptops relative to Windows-based competitors. Rumors of dual-booting Chromebooks (also booting to Windows), whether or not social media platforms are "publishers," and strategies to stop or avoid "stalking ads" on social media were also addressed. Social media / fake news controversies over the temporary (7 day) banning of Alex Jones / InfoWars on Twitter, hacker threats to home routers (VPNfilter) and IoT devices, the advent of Fortnite on ALL Android devices (but not via the Google Play Store), and Google's location tracking of users who turn off location services rounded out the news articles addressed in this show. Geeks of the Week included the Timer Tab app (ad-free), an incredible photo of our sun during a "Coronal Mass Ejection" with the earth shown to scale, and the recent PBS documentary, "Documenting Hate: Charlottesville." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 102

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 11:47:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 102 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 8, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed an update to this summer's MacBook Pro Throttling Controversy, the upcoming death of Flash functionality in 2020, and the importance of being wary when you see pop-up ads to "update flash" and other software on your computer. The recent decisions by Apple, YouTube/Google and Facebook to ban / take down websites and media channels of Alex Jones / InfoWars was also addressed, along with Facebook's takedown of suspected Russian network pages. Jason shared a shout-out to the helpful updating software "Ninite" for Windows, and Wes shared a shout out to his school's "Digital Citizenship Conversations" website as well. The perils of digital voting was discussed, along with the ongoing controversy over 3D printable guns. Amy Webb's recent prediction that "smartphones will be gone in 10 years" and other trends identified through her "Future Today Institute." The recent news that voice-based phone calls are finally in decline in Britain, Logitech's purchase of Blue Microphones, a cautionary tale for users of free VPN services whose data is sold to advertisers, and an eye opening Guardian article about Russian hacking forums were also highlighted in the show. Google's required use of physical identity keys for two step verification and the perils of using SMS as well as app-based verification methods for two step authentication was explored as well. Geeks of the week included Promevo (by Jason) and Explorables (by Wes). Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows, and share feedback with us about the show on Twitter or via a comment on our website.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 101

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 11:52:52 GMT

Welcome to episode 101 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 25, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed automation and the technological trajectory of our society, potentially toward dystopia, informed by Douglass Rushkoff's "Survival of the Richest" article shared in early July. This led to discussions about the weaponization of news via social media, as highlighted by danah boyd in a recent lecture in Detroit available on YouTube, recent revelations about voting machine vulnerabilities to hackers via remote access, and the cautionary tale provided by Ukraine in recent years on Russian hackers' capabilities to bring a society's institutions to a standstill via cyberwarfare. On the less depressing technology news front, Jason and Wes discussed the recent hoopla of Apple throttling MacBook Pro laptops revealed by a user on YouTube, and Apple's release of an iOS version which provides better support for privacy and travelers passing through customs inspections where equipment may be used to copy iPhone data via USB tools. On the Google front, Jason discussed identified speed issues with web browsers and the YouTube website, the recent EU fine of Google for anti-trust legal violations, the opinion that Android has (positively) created more choice in the global smartphone market, and an update on Google's Chromecast technology which celebrated its 5th birthday. Facebook's legal challenges and potential fines in Great Britain over Brexit, rumors of a Microsoft-branded smartphone, updates to Microsoft Teams software, slow growth in the PC industry, and the continued revelation of more backdoors in Cisco routers (5 at this point) rounded out this episode's topics. Geeks of the Week included Loom, a Chrome extension for screencasting, the Apple Magic Pad running on Chrome, Reddit (it's not just for trolls), DocHub (for PDF annotation and digital signing) and the new documentary "This is AI" by IBM and Discovery. Please follow us on @edtechSR for updates and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can for our show!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 100

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 05:55:45 GMT

Welcome to episode 100 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 11, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent announcements from the 2018 ISTE Conference in Chicago, Microsoft's new Surface Go budget laptop, and the opening of Pandora's Box for 3D printed guns. Security articles discussed included the worst cybersecurity breaches of 2018 (so far), the importance of never using a USB from an unknown source (including North Korea summit officials), and the potential danger of discarding a used USB flash drive. Google Chrome articles included the launch of the CTL rugged Chromebook, and Neverware's "Bring Your Old Device" tour, which included an ISTE vendor hall appearance at the Google booth. On the Amazon front, Jason reminded us to look forward to Amazon Prime Day on July 16th, and to consider why Amazon continues to sell lots of tablets in an otherwise lackluster market. Twitter's recent efforts to delete fake accounts in advance of 2018 midterm elections in the United States was also highlighted. Geeks of the week included a recent episode of the Wired Educator podcast, Wes' shared podcast subscriptions from PocketCasts, The Scratch Team's "Getting Unstuck" campaign for 25 days of creative coding, and the recommendation to restart your router to defeat variants of the "VPNfilter" malware outbreak and also optimize your bandwidth performance. Please follow us on Twitter at @edtechSR for updates and for live join links during our Wednesday night shows. Please reach out to us on Twitter if you enjoy the show and let us know you're listening!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 99

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 04:21:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 99 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 19, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed advice for attendees of the upcoming 2018 ISTE Conference, the AI robot debater from IBM, Facebook and social media privacy settings, and poor home wifi router security. Wes shared a weekly dose of cyberattack doom and gloom (shout out to NPR Fresh Air and their recent interview with author David E. Sanger) and highlighted Apple's decision to make it harder for border customs officials to quickly copy data off of traveler's iPhones. Microsoft's announced purchase of Flipgrid, the demise of freemium platforms Padlet and Tenmarks, and the emergence of "Minecraft Story Mode" remote control game/story videos on Netflix were also highlighted. Jason shared an update on the ZigZag Podcast mentioned last week, and also highlighted two Android apps: Android Messages (now includes a desktop version) and Datally to gain more insight into your smartphone use habits. (Or perhaps addictions). Geeks of the Week included the Adobe Spark App's port to Android OS, and the "Caliphate Podcast" series from the New York Times. A shout out to Peggy George, the PhotoMyne app, and the Classroom 2.0 Live Bucket List Google Sheet of apps and websites from last Saturday's show rounded out this 99th episode of EdTechSR. We will NOT have a show next week, but may squeeze in a July 4th show on a day other than Wednesday that week. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter for updates. Stay safe and stay saavy, friends!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 98

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 04:45:14 GMT

Welcome to episode 98 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 13, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed "the day net neutrality died" (and what it means for schools now,) the coming tidal wave of giant media company mergers, and exciting developments in the world of ChromeOS. Jason unveiled his new Google PixelBook laptop, and 72 hours into ownership reports it's the highest end laptop he's ever owned. Additional topics included rumors of redesigned Surfacebooks by Microsoft, and Microsoft Office's new "Fluent" design perhaps influenced by Google. On the Apple front, exciting announcements from WWDC18 including FaceTime for Groups and AppleTV Aerials recorded by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station were highlighted. Additionally, the potential impact of Apple making the "substrate" level of MacOS and iOS compatible was discussed, as highlighted in the WWDC 2018 keynote. Final articles discussed included one about Elon Musk and his noteable entrepreneurial work in so many areas, and charges that the FCC fabricated tales of DDOS attacks during its open commenting period on net neutrality. Geeks of the week included the ZigZag Podcast from Manoush Zomorodi, Saturday's "Open Mic" show on Classroom 2.0 Live, upcoming "Make Media Camp" workshops, and Jive Voice, a VOiP Cloud-hosted Phone System. Check out all our links on http://edtechsr.com/links for these and all other referenced resources from the show. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates and remember to subscribe with PocketCasts, Stitcher, on YouTube, or wherever you prefer to aggregate your favorite podcasts!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 97

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 12:10:32 GMT

Welcome to episode 97 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 6, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) welcomed special guest Michael J. Crawford (@mjcraw). Topics discussed included Mary Meeker’s essential 2018 Internet Trends report and new microcontrols for iOS announced at WWDC 2018 available to developers to potentially exercise more control over user screentime. The value of limiting the length of shared video as well as the availability of those videos for others to watch and interact with them was also discussed. EdSpace Live (www.edspace.live) is Michael's current product focusing on these questions and potentials. Instagram's announced launch of a long form video platform to compete with YouTube, and Microsoft's recently released book "Transforming Education" challenging K12 school leaders to be more thoughtful, deliberate, and intentional in their deployment of technologies in the classroom were also highlighted. Michael shared a shout out to Angela Maiers' article "Tactical Serendipity" as it relates to the value of teachers being connected and collaborating with each other. New revelations about the VPNFilter router vulnerability which potentially affects half a million routers worldwide, and the FBI is recommendation to reboot your router, was also discussed. Jason provided commentary about a recent article highlighting the privacy differences between the FireFox and Chrome browsers, and Wes recommended an article giving specific instructions about changing default privacy settings on social networks including Facebook. Check out all our links on http://edtechsr.com/links for these and all other referenced resources from the show. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates and remember to subscribe with PocketCasts, Stitcher, on YouTube, or wherever you prefer to aggregate your favorite podcasts!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 96

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 31 May 2018 04:49:07 GMT

Welcome to episode 96 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 30, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) welcomed special guest Dave Quinn (@EduQuinn) to discuss Amazon Alexa's latest (and improbable) privacy snafu, Facebook marketing videos to restore public trust, Redit's ascendency over Facebook to become the number three most popular website in the United States, and the much anticipated release of the Acer Chromebook Spin 13. Additional topics included Europe's GDPR (General Data Privacy Regulation), Apple's new patent on an "ultra-flexible 'living hinge’ laptop design," the newly refreshed Google News app and it's "full coverage" feature, and the value of Google's Custom Search Engines. In the course of conversations Dave also mentioned the excellent work Mike Caulfield (@holden) has done on information literacy and web literacy focusing on "4 Moves," and a shoutout to Nevada STEM educator Brian Crosby (@bcrosby) for his awesome balloon project "High Hopes" (@HighHopesSTEM). Geeks of the week included the Netflix original movie "Into the Inferno" by Werner Herzog, the 1st Inspired Learning Convention, Hummingbird Robotics Kits, and the value of pre-purchasing GoGo InFlight WiFi credits. Check out all our links on http://edtechsr.com/links and our shownotes on edtechsr.com for these and all other referenced resources from the show. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates and remember to subscribe with PocketCasts, Stitcher, on YouTube, or wherever you prefer to aggregate your favorite podcasts!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 95

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 17 May 2018 04:12:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 95 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 16, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the recent vote in the U.S. Senate to preserve net neutrality, Android-related updates from Google promoting more frequent security patches by smartphone manufacturers / OEMs, and the forthcoming Oneplus 6 Smartphone. The U.S. President's reversal of a trade ban on ZTE smartphones in the United States, updates to Gmail, Google Drive, and Google News, and imminently expected announcements about new Chromebooks rounded out the Android and Google-focused news articles in the show. Computer security firm Kaspersky's decision to relocate from Russia to Switzerland amidst continued concerns over its integrity, NASA's plan to send a drone helicopter to Mars, and the recent Toronto Declaration calling on algorithms to respect human rights were also discussed headlines. Under the title of "Technology Correction," the release of over 3500 advertisements funded by Russians to influence the 2016 US Presidential election were discussed, along with articles highlighting how over fifty percent of those ads focused on race and many ads targeted U.S. teens. Cambridge Analytica, which has been in the news constantly in the Facebook / Russian election influence story, declared bankruptcy but has apparently reformed as the company Emerdata. Wes shared his pessimism that these kinds of election psyops are going to continue unabated in the upcoming mid-term and regular term elections in the United States. Microsoft's work on a $400 tablet to compete with the iPad rounded out the discussed tech news. Geeks of the week included "The Most Useful Podcast in the World" by Popular Mechanics (from Jason), and two from Wes: a YouTube video of Sylvia Martinez INTED2018 Keynote Speech, "The Maker Movement" and the July 15-20, 2018 Summer Institute in Digital Literacy. Check out our shownotes for links to all these articles and referenced resources, and please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates. Stay safe and stay savvy!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 94

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 10 May 2018 04:55:55 GMT

Welcome to episode 94 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 9, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week newly minted Ph.D. Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed lots of news from the Google IO developer's conference, as well as news from the Microsoft Build Conference. The continued march of artificial intelligence is evident in the forthcoming release of Google Duplex, which was demonstrated at Google IO and allows your Google Assistant to make phone calls to real people and book appointments for things like haircuts and restaurant reservations. Google's new Android P operating system will focus on wellness and greater awareness of screentime to promote healthy living. They also discussed Facebook's "Sauron Alert" feature for employees, now called "Security Watchdog," which is not available publicly but warns when someone is using content or personal information in unauthorized ways on the platform. Microsoft's announcements for WindowsOS features which integrate with both Android phones as well as iPhones were discussed, as well as their efforts to bring machine learning benefits to all their applications. The use of AI technologies to potentially open up access to the Vatican's Secret Library was highlighted, along with an older article (September 2017) from "The Conversation" about how software licensing restrictions affecting objects we purchase for our homes is bringing a property rights / intellectual property rights situation into our lives which is regressive and feudal in nature. Geeks of the week included open source software for DVD ripping (Handbrake) and YouTube video downloading (y2mate), as well as software for identifying and installing optimal Windows OS drivers on older computer systems (Snappy Driver Installer). Check out our shownotes for links to all referenced resources, and links to articles we didn't have time to discuss in this week's show on edtechSR.com/links. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us live weekly on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 93

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 May 2018 05:23:38 GMT

Welcome to episode 93 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 2, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the predictable demise of Cambridge Analytica, Facebook's F8 Developer Conference and its newly announced dating website, and the announced merger of TMobile and Sprint in the United States to turbocharge the build-out of 5G cellular networks in the United States. Additional topics included the demise of TodaysMeet because of the EU's GDPR, Google's proliferating task management apps, new features in Windows10's latest update, Apple's decision to kill AirPort wifi routers, and slower than expected iPhoneX sales by Apple. Final topics included the continuing march of CRISPR to revolutionize animal genetics and our food chain, along with a shocking use of confidential DNA information to arrest the suspected "Golden State Killer." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us live weekly at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 92

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 04:03:59 GMT

Welcome to episode 92 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 25, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new national standards for online courses in the USA, a strange case of liability for an ewaste recycler, exciting updates for Gmail from Google, and several other tidbits of Google news. These included the movie editor in Google Photos, controversy at Google over proposed AI contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, and a strange Gmail spam issue which modified email headers so new messages showed up as "sent mail." Forthcoming updates to the YouTube Kids app featuring human-moderated channels and a new Google Tasks update rounded out the Google focused news updates. On the Apple front, Tim Cook's announcement that MacOS and iOS will NOT be merging was mentioned, along with sizable reported profits from the iOS port of the game Fortnite. A few thoughts about SmugMug's recent purchase of Flickr from Verizon were shared. Security hacks including hotel door locks and home wifi routers by Russian agents were also discussed. It was great to have Jason back after a multi-week hiatus as he completed his dissertation, which he's scheduled to defend in early May. Follow the show on Twitter @edtechSR for updates and please try and join us live on Wednesday evenings if you can on YouTube Live. Thanks for watching / listening! Access shownotes on http://edtechSR.com/92

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 91

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 04:21:28 GMT

Welcome to episode 91 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 4, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week special guests Alice Barr (@alicebarr) and Cheryl Oakes (@cheryloakes50) along with host Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the accessibility Chrome extension Plazma, the "Teach Wonder" robotics and PD program from Wonder Workshop, and Ripple's amazing fund of all DonorsChoose classroom projects recently. Additional topics included iOS 11.3's battery problems, Apple's new hire to improve Siri's AI abilities, favorite uses of smart assistants (Madame A and the Google Home Mini), and new DNS projects speeding up Internet access and improving security.New developments in the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica story were also highlighted. Geeks of the week included BusyKid, ClaroRead Chrome Extension, and 12 Augmented Reality Tools for Schools. Follow us on Twitter on @edtechSR for updates!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 90

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Mon, 02 Apr 2018 11:45:16 GMT

Welcome to episode 90 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 28, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week special guest Felix Jacomino (@FelixJacomino) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a gripping tale of iPhone10 survival on the SheiKra Roller Coaster in Busch Gardens, Apple's Education Event in Chicago on Tuesday, digital citizenship themes surrounding the Facebook / Cambridge Analytica hoopla as well as Florida school shootings, and the upcoming closure of WikiSpaces. Additional topics included some amazing, recent biotech headlines about protein engineering and the discovery of a new human organ, YouTube's decision to use WikiPedia links to fight online conspiracy theories, and Google's launch of a ChromeOS tablet. Geeks of the week included Sketchnoting apps ProCreate (iOS) and ArtFlow (Android) and Branded URL Shortening Service thetinyLINQ.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to all our referenced articles and resources. Next week tune in 2 hours early on Wednesday for a conversation with special guests Alice Barr (@alicebarr) and Cheryl Oakes (@cheryloakes50).

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 89

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 04:41:44 GMT

Welcome to episode 89 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 22, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week special guest Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the transition of iPadPalooza into LearningFest, Virtual Reality at SxSW 2018 and in the classroom, and the upcoming Apple Education Event in Chicago on March 27th. Additional topics included Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and the response of Mark Zuckerberg to allegations his social media platform has become "a weapon" posing an existential threat to democracies worldwide. Geeks of the week included the forthcoming movie, "Ready Player One," and a new Cadillac ad, "Future Cars." Check our shownotes for links to these and additional referenced articles and websites.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 88

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 04:14:28 GMT

Welcome to episode 88 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 13, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week special guest Jennifer Carey (@TheJenCarey) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the admirable way Florida teens have used social media to advocate for political change following the Parkland school shooting, how we can help curb trolling and harassment on Twitter by reporting it when we see it, and how YouTube seems coded to be a radicalizing influence through its recommendation engine. Social media analysis continued with discussion about a recent Wired article highlighting how Russia's "abuse" of Facebook during the 2016 elections essentially constituted an adept use of the platform as it's been designed to serve advertisers through micro-targeting, and the ways "the smartphone has become the new bogeyman" for many parents decrying the ills of social media much like parents blaming television watching in the 1980s. The need for expanded digital citizenship conversations at school to include "digital hygiene" including a focus on password managers and two-step verification was discussed, as well as the solution to a recent mystery involving laughing Amazon Alexa smart assistants. A discussion about Apple's emphasis on privacy but lagging innovation with artificial intelligence and Siri rounded out the discussion, including rumors of a new (and less expensive) MacBook Air laptop coming in the second quarter. Geeks of the week included a discounted laser cutter from Glowforge, Gaggle's Safety Management service, Slack for team messaging, the new Google Sites, and amazing augmented reality examples from the New York Times featuring Olympic athletes. Check out our full list of links on edtechsr.com/links, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for show updates @edtechSR. Next week special guest Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) will join Wes at our regular show time (9 pm central on Wednesday) as Jason Neiffer continues to hunker down and finish his dissertation this month. Please share feedback by reaching out on Twitter or leaving a comment on our website at edtechsr.com.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 87

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 05:21:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 87 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 28, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed news from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, net neutrality debate in the U.S. Congress, the forthcoming freemium option in Microsoft Teams, and new Chromebooks from Lenovo. Additional topics included Facebook's facial recognition features, outlier conspiracy theories focusing on the recent Florida school shooting fueled by social media, and YouTube's reinvigorated policing of videos required to adhere to community guidelines. Challenges for Android OS security, a possible replacement of Android OS by Google (with Flutter), and the prevalence of "credential stuffing" with online accounts rounded out the show's main topics. Geeks of the week included a new Google MOOC focusing on AI and machine learning, compatibility of Mac Magic trackpads with Chromebooks, and the free Google Docs Add-On "OrangeSlice: Teacher Rubric." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates on our show. Thanks for viewing / listening!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 86

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 19:31:51 GMT

Welcome to episode 86 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 21, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's HomePod and the generally negative reviews it hass received in the technology press, Chrome news including PWAs (progressive web apps), and social media's dark side revealed through the Parkland, Florida, school shooting incident. Additional topics included the need for ethics in artificial intelligence (AI), a recent historical look at AI's ascendency at Google, and Facebook's role in the Russia probe / election hack over time. Geeks of the week included Reply, by Google and Textra SMS (from Jason) and Twitter Moments (from Wes). Subscribe to @edtechSR on Twitter for updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 85

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:25:46 GMT

Welcome to episode 85 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 7, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Chrome blocking autoplay videos, Smartwatch privacy issues, amazing LIDAR discoveries in Guatemalan jungles, work by the Center for Humane Technology, and changing norms with Smartphone memory capacity. Additional topics included Apple's HomePod release and Apple's AI lag behind Google and Amazon, new smart glasses from Intel, Best Buy discontinuing CD sales, expected impacts of 5G cellular wireless, and recommendations for home mesh routers. Geeks of the week included the Common Voice Project by Mozilla (from Wes) and "Android Lite" apps for situations with poor connectivity (Jason). Note we will NOT have a show next week on February 14th / Valentine's Day, but will return on our regular schedule February 21st, Check out all our shownotes (including articles we did not have time to discuss this week) on http://edtechsr.com - Stay safe and stay savvy, friends!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 84

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 05:10:34 GMT

Welcome to episode 84 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 31, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the weaponization of information as propaganda via online advertising and what this portends for open / democratic societies, exhortations from leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos relating to education and artificial intelligence, and the financial impact of Facebook's recently announced changes to its news feed algorithm. Additional topics included the EU's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and what those privacy directives might mean for schools and educational technology use, Google's embrace of Neverware, Apple rumors about new processors to power new Macs, dramatic reductions in iPhone 10 production numbers, and Google's success (as well as struggle) vetting apps and removing those which violate its terms of service. Access all our shownotes (including links to articles we didn't have time to discuss) on http://edtechsr.com/links and follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates. Thanks for tuning in, please shout out to us on Twitter and consider writing a favorable review of us on iTunes or elsewhere online. We love listener feedback!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 83

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 05:23:17 GMT

Welcome to episode 83 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 24, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the Montana governor's announcement to require net neutrality respect from ISPs with state contracts, the Hawaii governor's Twitter password gaffe during the recent false ICBM alert incident, and a series of new Google announcements relating to an IT certification program and cybersecurity spinoff company. Additional topics included new affordable laptops from Lenovo, Acer, and Microsoft targeting the education market, wifi issues with Chromecast and Google Home devices, and some Apple updates on battery throttling, HomePod, and the Siri Assistant who can new read daily news briefings like Google Home and Alexa. The show rounded out with a discussion of new YouTube changes to channel monetization eligibility, the issues raised around "YouTube pranking culture" by the Logan Paul Japan suicide video, and a shout out to Ben Wilkoff's new "Educator and Student Youtube 1000 List." Please follow us on Twitter for updates and links to our live shows on Wednesday night on YouTube. Check out the full list of links, including some we did not cover in this episode, on http://edtechsr.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 82

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 03:55:05 GMT

Welcome to episode 82 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 17, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed upcoming changes to the Facebook news feed, the performance impact of software patches for Meltdown and Spectre, our human tendency to anthropomorphize technologies, and new highlights from CES 2018. Geeks of the week included Google's Art App (Jason), the Microsoft Launcher for Android and the YouTube Safety Center (Wes). Check out all our links and shownotes, including many articles we didn't have time to address in this week's show, on http://edtechsr.com/links - Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edtechSR to stay up to date on upcoming shows. Please consider leaving us a review on iTunes and anywhere else you find us! Remember you can listen to our latest episode on Google Home by simply saying, "Hey Google, play the latest episode of The EdTech Situation Room podcast!"

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 81

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 05:02:13 GMT

Welcome to episode 80 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 10, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed important updates on the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerability issues, a few videos and articles focusing on the rise of Artificial Intelligence and the importance of putting ethics into coding, and some update from CES 2018 including the competition between Amazon and Google with smart assistants. The importance of the blockchain and the rise of cryptocurrencies were also discussed, along with a late December CNN Op-Ed advocating for the banning of all cell phones in U.S. middle schools. Geeks of the week included NeverWare for Chrome, Digital Citizenship Conversations (digcit.us) and the newest, blazingly fast FireFox browser from Mozilla with Tracking Protection turned ON. Check out these links in our shownotes, as well as more news links we didn't have time to discuss on edtechsr.com/links. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter for updates on upcoming shows.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 80

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 05:44:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 80 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 3, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed trends to watch at the upcoming 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (#CES2018), Apple Battery Gate, and hoopla over newly discovered processor flaws posing security risks. Additional topics included recent revelations over how antivirus software (specifically Kaspersky) can be readily manipulated to become spy software, and an article about the effect of social media in reducing adolescent partying. Geeks of the week included an article describing how to host podcast audio on Google Drive, and the best recommended home cable modem from Wirecutter. Check out these links in our shownotes, and even more we did not have time to discuss this week on edtechsr.com/links. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter for updates on upcoming shows.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 79

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 06:50:41 GMT

Welcome to episode 79 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 27, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Beth Holland (@brholland) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed "The 2017 EdTech Year in Review." The first discussion topic was the misinterpretation of “research” in educational technology and how it leads to editorials about banning technology in classrooms. Secondly, the line between "creepy surveillance" (by social media companies for advertising as well as governmental mass surveillance) and helpful artificial intelligence / algorithm powered information filtering was explored, but definitely not definitively resolved since many of the recent disclosures related to data mining and privacy have multiple facets of benefit and trade offs which make "black and white" conclusions difficult. The third topic of the show was the ways in which Google and Microsoft faced off in educational technology circles in 2017, from the Chromebook to Windows 10 S, to Google Docs and Microsoft 365 (including OneNote). Several additional topics were included in the show planning document (linked in our shownotes) but not addressed because of time limitations. Geeks of the week included $20 Amazon Fire Tablets, ways to view and correct information Twitter has collected and analyzed about your personal account, and great MakerEd / STEM gifts for young people in your life: Makedo and Bloxels. Don't miss our referenced links, resources, articles and books in our shownotes, as well as the articles and topics we didn't discuss on our special show planning Google Doc. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter for updates, and tune in next week for our first "regular" show of 2018. Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus, and Happy New Year to everyone!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 78

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 06:07:47 GMT

Welcome to episode 78 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 20, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) revived a Neiffer classroom holiday tradition: the "Airing of Grievances" (#edtech focused) inspired by "The Holiday of Festivus" and the 1997 Seinfeld episode, "The Strike." In addition to sharing technology grievances, Jason and Wes discussed the remarkable backstory to the Mirai botnet attacks revealed in an Alaska courtroom last week. Other security related topics included the U.S. government's fingering of North Korea for the WannaCry ransomware attack, China's livestreaming servers for public surveillance cameras, and DARPA's "unhackable" computer currently under development at the University of Michigan. Apple related topics included recent reports that the iPhone is designed to slow down with age, tips on how to increase iPhone performance, and a predication that Apple will allow developers to create universal apps in 2018 which run on both iOS and MacOS devices. Google articles included the expected launch in February of Google Chrome's built-in ad blocker and the updated function of Google Sites (the new version) to permit embedding and Javascript. Tears were shed for the death of AOL's instant messenger platform. Geeks of the week included the "Broadcast Voice Messages" feature of Google Home, the 2017 documentary "Unacknowledged" by Dr. Steven Greer (@DrStevenGreer), and the 6 year anniversary price ($1) for the Nova Launcher for Android. Note next week's "2017 EdTech Year in Review" show will start an hour earlier for east coast guests and livestream fans. Please join us, and follow @edtechSR on Twitter for updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 77

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:51:18 GMT

Welcome to episode 77 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 13, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google's recent announcement to discontinue web store apps, the importance of the open web, and the upcoming net neutrality vote by the FCC. Additional topics included the prevalence of email tracking and whether or not this surveillance is something to be concerned about, the upcoming shutdown of Storify, Google Assistant coming to older Android devices, and a recent PBS Frontline Special ("Putin's Revenge") as well as Guardian article about the weaponization of the web by Russia. Geeks of the week included a recent article about going anonymous online with the Tor browser (Jason) and the expensive, hybrid human/digital assistant "Fin" (Wes). Please check out all our shownotes (including articles we did not have time to address in this week's show) on http://edtechsr.com/links and follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechSR for updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 76

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 05:27:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 76 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 6, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the viability of antivirus software on client computers and the prospects for brain implants (mind-computer interfaces) as described by a current neurosurgeon. Additional topics included Windows 10 ARM laptops, the public health risks posed by Facebook and Google, digital distractions, and Amazon Prime video finally coming to AppleTV. Google-related topics included the current spat over selling products on Amazon.com, which is leading to the blocking of YouTube on Amazon streaming devices, YouTube's redoubled efforts to address child exploitation online, and the need for AI / machine learning consultants to help companies utilize these technologies to support their business practices. The prospects for privacy in the United State being further eroded by a Supreme Court case focusing on the need for a warrant for cell phone location data and the best selling products during CyberMonday rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included Android battery management strategies, the Windows re-imaging tool Ninite, a science fiction book written by a neuroscientist, and Amazon's new "Transcribe" service for audio and video files stored on the Amazon Cloud. Please check out all our shownotes (including articles we did not have time to address in this week's show) on http://edtechsr.com/links and follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechSR for updates.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 75

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 05:15:29 GMT

Welcome to episode 75 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 29, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed rumors on other edtech podcasts that they are "a bit nerdy," recent Apple security issues with the default root user account, and YouTube with respect to protecting kids and restricting content. Additional topics included the state of email in 2017 and useful apps / email workflow strategies, the amazingly fast new FireFox browser from Mozilla, exciting new announcements for more Android apps on Chromebooks, and the continued march of automation via AI, especially involving trucking. Geeks of the week included the upcoming December 15-31 "Ditch that Textook Digital Summit" (from Wes) and Google Voice (from Jason.) Refer to our podcast shownotes for all referenced news articles and links. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay updated, and join us LIVE for a future show at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain most weeks on Wednesday night. Check all our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 74

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 04:57:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 74 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 24, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent news articles addressing Apple's MacBook in our post-PC computing environment, net neutrality and the FCC's upcoming plan to roll it back, as well as various security news reports from the past two weeks. These included WikiLeaks release of CIA cyber weapon source code, the reported impersonation of Kaspersky by CIA hackers, Uber's $100,000 cover-up of a large cyber breach, and the dangers posed by a WiFi Pineapple. The 10th birthday of the Amazon Kindle was also discussed, including its history of iterative design and function improvements. Geeks of the week included What's App (from Wes) and fakespot.com (from Jason), a helpful website to identify fake product reviews on Amazon, Yelp, TripAdvisor and the Apple App Store. Refer to our podcast shownotes for all referenced news articles and links. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay updated, and join us LIVE for a future show at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain most weeks on Wednesday night. Check all our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 73

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 06:19:42 GMT

Welcome to episode 73 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 8, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed how to run Windows software on newer Chromebooks using CodeWeavers' CrossOver, recent congressional testimony by Silicon Valley leaders, and Twitter's expanded 280 character limit. Additional topics included the EPA's recent approval to release genetically modified mosquitoes in 20 U.S. states and the rise of global "Net States." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay updated, and join us LIVE for a future show at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain. Check all our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 72

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 04:36:50 GMT

Welcome to episode 72 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 1, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the unfortunate limitations of USB-C cables, the slowing of Moore's law and the growing importance of AI for smartphone sales and function, and iPhone X pre-order sales numbers. Additional topics included survey results about Americans' opinions of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, the U.S Congressional hearings with representatives of Facebook, Twitter and Google, the need to address online anonymity in light of U.S. Presidential election revelations, and the ways social media is used today to divide our nation rather than unify us. Samsung's opening of its codebase for the Galaxy S5 has led to some remarkable DIY hacking projects, and Facebook may start requiring publisher to pay to make articles visible in user news feeds. All these topics and more were discussed in this week's episodes. Jason's geek of the week was a collection of Google related IFTTT recipes and a helpful beginner's guide to IFTTT. Wes' geek of the week was Screen Cloud, a Google services connected digital signage platform which is extremely robust and awesome. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay updated, and join us LIVE for a future show at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain. Check all our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 71

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 04:09:41 GMT

Welcome to episode 71 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 25, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Microsoft's play to offer its universe of applications (including the Edge web browser and the Cortana assistant) on Android phones, upgrade woes with iOS 11, and Coda's efforts to create a new document format merging word processing documents and spreadsheets. Security articles included a shout out to Nicole Perlroth's September 11th interview on cybersecurity on the World Affairs Council podcast, Facebook security issues and the Facebook privacy checkup, and new attacks including "BadRabbit ransomware" and "The Reaper Botnet." Jason Snell's recent article hoping for / predicting a forthcoming Mac Mini update, the incredible learning speed and accomplishments of AlphaGo Zero, SeeSaw's addition of "Activities" to its classroom app, and new/updated clear solar cells were also discussed. Jason finished out the week's articles talking about "containers on Chromebooks." Geeks of the week included discounted Amazon Echos on Woot, the BBEDIT text editor for batch-editing documents, and Storyspheres from Google. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay updated, and join us LIVE for a future show at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain. Check all our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 70

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 04:14:58 GMT

Welcome to episode 70 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 18, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google's new "Advanced Protection" security mode, hacker threats in several US states to parents of students, Microsoft Windows 10 "Creator Updates," and reports that our solar system has a mysterious "Super Earth" 9th planet well beyond the orbit of Neptune. Additional topics included several updates to Google Earth and Google Maps mashups, recent Amazon advertising mistakes, the importance of media literacy education, and the emerging narrative of how Russian operatives appear to have subverted democracy in the U.S. 2016 Presidential election using Facebook targeted ads. "Speed round" article topics included a new Russian cryptocurrency, Netflix' push for original movie and show content, Equifax hack blame falling on "one IT guy," RSA encryption hacks, the cost of product placement advertisements, Eli Pariser's "Filter Bubble," and the secrets of Yahoo search. Geeks of the week included a $10 "FIDO U2F Security Key" and the weather website and app "Dark Sky." Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and reach out to us if you listen to the show! The EdTech Situation Room is produced live each week (almost) on Wednesday nights at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain time. Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and stay savvy!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 69

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 04:16:09 GMT

Welcome to episode 69 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 11, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Twitter's plans to double the character limit to 280, Microsoft giving up on Windows Phone, Google's Investment in Neverware, and the emerging details about Russian election hacking and Russian company Kaspersky. Additional topics include the role of social media in distributing news today, "what happens in an Internet minute in 2017," and podcast hosting services going offline (Opinion and AudioBoom). Gene therapy for Leukemia, Dropbox innovation, Tim Cook's surprising comment about AR computing hardware, and Facebook's new VR headset rounded out the week's articles. Geeks of the week included Facebook Messenger Lite and Podiant for podcast hosting. Teachable Machine from Google was also shared by Ben Wilkoff in the chat room. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and reach out to us if you listen to the show! If a particular article or topic is especially thought provoking or interesting to you, please let us know. The EdTech Situation Room is produced live each week (almost) on Wednesday nights at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain time. Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and stay savvy!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 68

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 04:25:16 GMT

Welcome to episode 68 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 4, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed today's exciting Google event and product announcements, with (as always) an eye toward the educational implications of the news. Discussed Google product announcements included the new Pixel2 smartphone, Pixelbuds supporting real-time translation in 40 languages, the updated Pixelbook, the Google Clip Camera, and new Google Home products including the Home Max and Home Mini. Geeks of the week included the Chromebook Comparison Chart from Zipso (from Jason), an update on the cross-platform video projection option Via Connect Pro, and Google Maps Treks (from Wes). Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and reach out to us if you listen to the show! If a particular article or topic is especially thought provoking or interesting to you, please let us know. The EdTech Situation Room is produced live each week (almost) on Wednesday nights at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain time. Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and stay savvy!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 67

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 04:16:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 67 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 27, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed prison time given to a Volkswagon engineer who wrote the emissions test dodging car code, updates to Google Slides, Team Drives for G Suite users, and G Suite's new File Stream app for offline file access. Additional topics included the recent war of words between Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg, Doug Belshaw's post about why he deleted all his past Twitter likes/favorites as well as most of his tweets, and an alleged $5 million purchase by Mexico of Israeli technology which permits monitoring of anyone's cell phone location, text messages and phone calls by just using their phone number or phone IMEI number. (This article prompted Wes' tin foil hat for part of the show.) The possible risks of biometric smartphone security was discussed, along with a slew of new product announcements from Amazon bring the menu of Alexa-powered devices to eight. (Wes is still not ready to purchase any of them for home use, however.) It's Happy Birthday time for Google, and apparently time for the U.S. Congress to fire the current chairman of the FCC,Ajit Pai. Geeks of the week included Gazelle (a smartphone reseller to consider using when upgrading), the free iPad app "TextingStory Chat Story Maker," and the upcoming "Google Camp OKC" $25 PD event on Saturday, November 4, 2017 in Oklahoma City (@googlecampOKC). Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and reach out to us if you listen to the show! If a particular article or topic is especially thought provoking or interesting to you, please let us know. The EdTech Situation Room is produced live each week (almost) on Wednesday nights at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain time. Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and stay savvy!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 66

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 04:35:37 GMT

Welcome to episode 66 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 19, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Facebook's struggles to define standards for censoring advertisers, Facebook "Pixel" tracking, expanded T-Mobile data caps, recommended action steps for Equifax hack victims, and the CCleaner anti-malware software hack. Additional topics included tips G Suite admins can take to prevent phishing attacks, a great free Chrome extension which can help that effort (Password Alert), iOS 11 updates, tvOS updates, and Google's forthcoming event featuring an expected Pixel 2 smartphone announcement. A speed round of CRISPR and genomics headlines rounded out the show, with geeks of the week including a new 2D to 3D facial modeling program and useful wireless device mirroring solutions: The Via Connect Pro and Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter 2. Check out the shownotes for links to all these articles, which are also listed on http://edtechsr.com/links. Be sure to follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtech @edtechSR and tune in (usually) on Wednesday nights at 9 pm central, 8 pm mountain, or 2 am GMT. Until next time, stay safe and stay savvy!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 65

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 04:15:33 GMT

Welcome to episode 65 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 13, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed this week's Apple Event product announcements, the huge Equifax hack and what victims can do about it, new headlines fitting in the broader topic of "This Week In Justified Paranoia," and the prospects of a Parkinson's Disease cure via gene pattern identification powered by 23andMe. Geeks of the week included a new screencasting software program (recordit.co) and Apple Today events at Apple retail stores including "Teacher Tuesdays" and Apple Store learning field trips. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to a post about that incident and all the referenced articles / resources from the show. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 64

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 03:47:35 GMT

Welcome to episode 64 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 6, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed rumors of Apple's September 12th event and expected iPhone updates, enhanced Android app performance on Chromebooks, Gimlet Media's significant funding round supporting podcasting, and the recent NY Times article about ethics and teacher product promotion. Additional topics addressed included Apple's newly announced support for network neutrality, pacemakers at risk for hacks, and social media file vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit. Geeks of the week included Manoush Zomorodi's new book, "Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self," Google File Stream for G-Suite, Plow for socially filtered web news, and Hop as a new/transformative email client. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to a post about that incident and all the referenced articles / resources from the show. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 63

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 04:20:47 GMT

Welcome to episode 63 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 30, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed iPhone 9 rumors, Apple's recent Emmy Award, CRISPR and human DNA embryo editing ("DNA surgery"), fake news surrounding Hurricane Harvey, and Google’s forthcoming Chromebook Pixel laptop. Additional topics included the newly announced collaboration between Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana and YouTube updates removing black bars on vertical videos. Geeks of the week included the Blue Yeti Mic and a $26 HDMI to Component Video converter with the power to rescuccitate a HDMI-disabled flatscreen TV. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to a post about that incident and all the referenced articles / resources from the show. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 62

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 04:30:36 GMT

Welcome to episode 62 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 23, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the new Google operating system "Oreo," the rising costs of new smartphones in the United States, whether or not Facebook poses a thread to democracy, and Wired magazine's Internet Troll map. Additional topics included "How info overload robs us of creativity," the militarization of computing via autonomous killer robots and the forthcoming independence of US CyberCommand. Geeks of the week touched on interactive annotation tools like Hypothes.is and tips for public wifi hotspot security. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to a post about that incident and all the referenced articles / resources from the show. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 61

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 03:50:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 61 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 16, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new updates for Google Sheets and Slides for education (G Suite) users, and a helpful (but NSFW) article highlighting the "why" of Internet troll culture as well as many Internet culture personalities and events which could be considered essential for adults wanting to understand teens and their digital context today. On the surveillance front, Jason and Wes talked about the recent FBI warning to parents regarding "smart toys," and the troubling demand by the US Department of Justice to ISPs for names and data on 1.3 million Internet users who visited a Trump resistance website prior to the inauguration in January. A recent Google survey on ransomware, the recent HBO hack, the mind-bogglingly HUGE hack of Sweden's national database back in 2015, and a July article from the Atlantic exploring whether companies should be allowed to offensively hack rounded out security articles for the episode. Jason also shared some articles with updates on the forthcoming ChromeOS and Android merger. Geeks of the week included two weather mobile apps (Storm and DarkSky), Tony Vincent's "Classy Graphics with Google Drawings Fall 2017" online class, and an article explaining how you can "Use your Phone as a ChromeCast Hotspot in Hotels." Check out the podcast shownotes for links to a post about that incident and all the referenced articles / resources from the show. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 60

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 04:32:58 GMT

Welcome to episode 60 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 9, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the celebrated death of a podcasting patent, revised password recommendations for users, hacked school Twitter accounts, new STEM-focused badges for Girl Scouts, and summer experiments with BadgeList.com. Additional topics included the recent Google broohaha over a sexist employee-authored memo, a new study further debunking the "digital native" myth, digital identity with Yoti, a predicted cyborg evolution for humanity, Jason's new Windows 10S experiment, and a creepy prototype of a self-driving truck. Geeks of the week included The Hackable Podcast by McAfee (from Jason) and "Send by FireFox" (from Wes). Wes also shared a flashback memory from 2010 involving the "FireSheep" extension for FireFox. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to a post about that incident and all the referenced articles / resources from the show. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 59

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 12:18:37 GMT

Welcome to episode 59 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 2, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's recent favorable quarterly earnings report, Tim Cook's alleged statements to President Trump about Apple manufacturing returning (at least in part) to the USA mainland, the relatively low influence of peer-journaled research in most K-12 educational purchasing decisions, and the implications of genetic modification / genomics in recently announced insect eradication campaigns in the US as well as a breakthrough human embryo genetic mutation "edit." Other topics addressed included solar eclipse sunglasses scams on Amazon (buyer beware!), some excellent explanatory videos and articles about cryptocurrencies and the "blockchain" (including Bitcoin), the announced death of Flash as a supported web technology from Adobe in 2020, and recent hacks to Verizon customers as well as an alarmingly saavy web user whose AT&T iPhone account was compromised in a targeted attacked even though he had 2-step verification turned on as well as an account passcode. (The AT&T call center rep was the weak link and granted account access to the hacker without the required customer pass phrase.) Lastly, an article prediction that SpaceX will become the leading global Internet Service Provider (ISP) when they triple the number of communication satellites in earth orbit, and the current battle of Snopes to raise money and remain financially solvent were discussed. Geeks of the week included ShoutKey, a website for sharing time-limited shortened web links / URLs with plain English words easy to spell (Wes) and an Anker solar charger for digital devices (Jason). Jason also announced the "Chromebook App List" on the NCCE blog, and Wes shared he will be presenting for Classroom 2.0 Live on Saturday, August 12th. (Note: This is a correction from the date shared during this episode). Please check our shownotes below and links on http://edtechsr.com/links for all referenced articles and resources from this episode. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 58

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 04:27:47 GMT

Welcome to episode 58 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 19, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week was a special episode dedicated specifically to "Net Neutrality" and the ongoing campaign to oppose corporate telco lobbying for Internet fast lanes. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed what net neutrality is and why it's important, how it impacts schools as well as the economy, and why we need to advocate for net neutrality not only with the FCC but also with our elected representatives and senators in Congress. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 57

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 05:06:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 57 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 12, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed takeaways and "tired edtech trends" from the 2017 ISTE Conference in San Antonio. They demonstrated the new "Seeing AI" app from Microsoft, which amazingly has been FIRST released for iOS / iPhone / iPad, and discussed several noteworthy and recent podcasts, videos and articles relating to artificial intelligence. Other addressed topics included Google's new integrated Drive & Photos ‘Backup & Sync’ app, a recent study finding the mere presence of a cell phone reduces brain power, #FontGate in Pakistan, a tragic story of attempted YouTube stardom, and reviews of the new Microsoft laptop. Geeks of the week included "Gypsy Guide" for iOS driving tours, the web series "Do Not Track," and the amazing slide collection (for PowerPoint and Google Slides) SlideModel.com. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date on upcoming shows! Next week we will have a special episode focusing specifically on Net Neutrality. If you are a US citizen, but sure to visit www.savetheinternet.com NOW to contact both the FCC and your elected officials in Washington to voice your support for Net Neutrality and opposition to proposed regulations which would fundamentally harm the Internet as we know and use it today. Make your voice be heard - speak out! Then join us next week as we break down the issues at stake surrounding net neutrality in greater detail.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 56

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 05:30:19 GMT

Welcome to episode 56 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 19, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) were back after several weeks apart, which included some international travel for Jason to Sweden. This week discussion topics included the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on "a right to social media access" as part of 1st Amendment rights, and recent announcements from Apple at WWDC including new iPads, the iMac Pro and HomePod speakers. The proposed purchase of Whole Foods by Amazon, the degree to which we can societally prepare for job displacement from automation, and efforts by Amazon and Google to address offensive content as well as terrorist-related media using human moderators were also discussed. An amazing (but apparently true) event in Ethiopia was also discussed, in which the nation shut down the entire Internet for several days to prevent cheating on high school student end-of-year exams. Several surveillance and security related news articles were also addressed. Geeks of the Week included the Podcast App, 60db (by Jason) and two from Wes: SiteSucker for macOS and the Eclipse Megamovie Project. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date on upcoming shows! Next week we'll attempt a live show from ISTE in San Antonio on Monday evening, June 26th.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 55

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 04:22:12 GMT

Welcome to episode 55 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 7, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week while Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment in Sweden, special guest Dr. Scott McLeod (@mcleod) joined Wes Fryer (@wfryer) to discuss cyberattacks in Qatar and the Middle East, new iPad features announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in California, and the possible legal limits on public figures to block followers on social media platforms like Twitter. They also discussed a new book by CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna, insights into the rise of our artificial intelligence golden age from Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt, and students admitted to Harvard denied admission over inappropriate Internet memes shared over social media. Geeks of the Week included Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends 2017 presentation (355 slides!) by Scott and Story Map (including a Story Map of 2017 Terrorist attacks) by Wes. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date on upcoming shows!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 54

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 11:23:55 GMT

Welcome to episode 54 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 31, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week while Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment, returning special guest Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin) joined Wes Fryer (@wfryer) to discuss cybersecurity and recommended anti-malware computing solutions, They also talked about efforts to salvage Twitter and Internet discourse by web 2.0 pioneer Evan Williams (@ev), the perils of moderating live video moderation, and recent commercial space milestones by SpaceX as well as Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's company, Vulcan Aerospace. For Geeks of the Week, Miguel shared Multcloud.com and CloudHQ.net as solutions for creating backup copies of cloud-based storage files, and Wes extolled TabPilot as a Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform. Next week we'll be back to our regular live show time (Wednesday at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific) and will welcome special guest, Dr. Scott McLeod (@mcleod). Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter to stay updated. As always thanks for tuning in and please share your feedback!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 53

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 May 2017 03:43:58 GMT

Welcome to episode 53 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 24, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed more takeaways from the recent Google I/O event, genomics and biotechnology news involving CRISPR and DARPA, artificial intelligence advances by Google, and updates to the Surface Pro line by Microsoft amidst forthcoming rumors of MacBook updates at WWDC in June by Apple. They also talked about recent "bot blunders" (related to AI and machine learning), ongoing fake news challenges to information validation (thanks Newt Gingrich), a company demonstrating the potential for journalism platforms to make money with a subscription model, and the interesting ways Apple is reinventing its retail experience in malls for post-modern (and online) shoppers. Geeks of the week included the Burstio app for iOS (Wes) and the "Amazon Basics" product line (Jason). The next few weeks we'll be having some guests on the show and may alter our start times, so please follow @edtechSR on Twitter to stay updated about changes. As always thanks for tuning in and please share your feedback!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 52

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 18 May 2017 04:38:11 GMT

Welcome to episode 52 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 17, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Ben Wilkoff (@bhwilkoff) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed an array of exciting announcements from today's Google i/o conference, as well as an interesting but disturbing video from the May 10th Microsoft Build Conference perhaps foreshadowing our "privacy free future" powered by ubiquitous surveillance cameras, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Panelists also discussed the recent WCry worm whose ransomeware payload has made headlines and wreaked havoc on unpatched (as well as pirated) Windows-powered computers worldwide. The response of Microsoft's President, Brad Smith, was a call for national governments to stop stockpiling computer exploits like this one originally developed by the NSA and leaked to the public. Topics also included the possibility of a forthcoming Siri-powered home assistant from Apple (perhaps to be announced in June at WWDC), a new aggregation of compromised 560 million email credentials (yes it might be time to change your password) making it even easier for hackers to ruin your life. Wes also mentioned the ATLIS 2017 session "Copyright & Intellectual Property: Who Owns What Teachers and Students Create in Your School?" in the context of photo sharing of student photos taken at school. Please follow us on Twitter (@edtechSR) to stay up to date on upcoming shows and infrequent show start time changes. Generally you can join us live at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific on Wednesday nights on YouTube Live! Please share feedback with us if you listen to the show, have ideas for future show topics, or have a suggestion for a guest on a future episode.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 51

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 11 May 2017 03:57:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 51 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 10, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's forthcoming (but rumored) "Today at Apple" retail sessions, and a TEDideas article suggesting we replace the term "digital natives" with the terms "digital orphans," "digital exiles" and "digital heirs." Additional subjects included the continued growth of the digital home assistant market and the new "Echo Show" product from Amazon, next-generation mesh-based home routers, and privacy articles highlighting surreptitious surveillance smartphone apps using "ultrasonic sounds" and new advice from NIST changing generally accepted safe password recommendations. Additionally, a new video promoting Microsoft's Minecraft for Education's Code Builder Tool and Google's new tools to battle fake news in suggested search results were discussed. Geeks of the week included 5.11 Tactical Bags for Nerds from Jason and the TIDE Podcast (Today in Digital Education) by Dai Barnes (@daibarnes) and Doug Belshaw (@dajbelshaw) from Wes. Please follow us on Twitter (@edtechSR) to stay up to date on upcoming shows and infrequent show start time changes. Generally you can join us live at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific on Wednesday nights on YouTube Live! Please share feedback with us if you listen to the show, have ideas for future show topics, or have a suggestion for a guest on a future episode.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 50

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 May 2017 06:37:39 GMT

Welcome to episode 50 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 3, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and Ben Wilkoff (@bhwilkoff) discussed today's widespread Google Docs phishing attack, Microsoft's newly announced Windows-S operating system, new Microsoft laptop announcements targeting the Chromebook market and MacBook users, and recent controversy regarding the website Unroll.me selling anonymized user data to advertisers. They also discussed Mark Zuckerberg's recent forecast for the future of social media and screens (mixed-reality), a new Kickstarter campaign (Jelly, The Smallest 4G Smartphone), and cybersecurity. Geeks of the week included Google Trips (Jason), the Clips app for iPhone (Wes), and the Pocket Video from iOS (Ben). Be sure to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates and show date/time changes. Normally we're LIVE on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific. Please join us live if your schedule permits for our upcoming shows!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 49

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 04:12:36 GMT

Welcome to episode 49 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 26, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Martin Horejsi from the University of Montana discussed Apple's struggle to keep and win back school users, the new online newspaper from WikiPedia founder Jimmy Wales, and varying perspectives on robotics. Wes Fryer was out on assignment but will return next week. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter to stay up to date about our upcoming show schedule. Thanks for listening (and possibly watching) the EdTech Situation Room!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 48

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 03:36:08 GMT

Welcome to episode 48 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 19, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the implications of Apple's announcement to make all iLife apps free for both MacOS and iOS, Microsoft's new licensing strategy for Windows 10 and the "Creator's Update," and the potential for Google's AutoDraw website to be used for sketchnoting inside and outside the classroom. Additional topics include a recent study suggesting kids who use touchscreen devices sleep less at night, a New York Times article on a paper suggesting social media is NOT contributing significantly to political polarization, and the X-Prize victory by an underdog family team who created a "tri-corder" to accurately diagnose thirteen different medical conditions. Jason and Wes also discussed two cell phone company related articles, including Verizon's announcement to purchase tons of new fiber and bring 1 Gbps connectivity to homes via 5G wireless technology, and T-Mobile's recent spectrum purchases boosting their LTE network coverage. Geeks of the week included a new Chromebook for Jason (HP Chromebook 13 G1) and upcoming creativity strand presentations for the K-12 Online Conference by Wes. Despite some Fryer home connectivity challenges tonight we made it through the show! Thanks to Peggy, Ben and Simon who joined us live from Arizona, Colorado and Australia! Next week Wes will be "out on assignment" but Jason will carry on with some special guests. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter to stay up to date about our upcoming show schedule. Thanks for listening (and possibly watching) the EdTech Situation Room!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 47

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 03:07:37 GMT

Welcome to episode 47 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 12, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week special guest Beth Holland (@brholland) joined Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) for discussions focusing on Anderson Cooper's recent 60 Minutes Episode "What is 'brain hacking?' Tech insiders on why you should care," new IoT (Internet of Things) home hacking episodes, the federated (and FREE / open source) social networking platform "Mastodon," and helpful articles on finding a secure VPN to protect your privacy. Geeks of the Week included realtimeboard.com (from Beth), Google Flights (from Jason) and an $18 6 port smart ID USB charging hub (from Wes). Check our shownotes below for all referenced links from the show, which are also available on http://edtechsr.com/links. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates. Next week we'll be back on Wednesday night at our regular time: 10 pm Eastern, 9 pm Central, 8 pm Mountain, 7 pm Pacific. If you listen to and enjoy the show, please provide us with feedback by submitting our short listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 46

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 04:24:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 46 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 4, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's announced spec update for the Mac Pro, a recent Google sponsored survey indicating teens think Google is cooler than Apple, and a variety of articles and movies tangentially related to intelligence, artificial intelligence, and cyborgs. As usual they discussed continuing improvements to home assistant technologies like Google Home, as well as articles about recent privacy protection rule changes in the United States and their implications for US consumers. Privacy discussions also included Quincy Larsen's February 2017 post, "I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again. Neither should you." Jason shared a shout out to the Note to Self Podcast episode, "Blind Kids, Touchscreen Phones, and the End of Braille?" On the topic of digital distractions, Jason provided an update about his continuing use of the Google WiFi router and hotspot, which now provides potentially helpful parental controls. Geeks of the week included the multi-platform wireless projection streaming solution "Prijector" from Wes (via the @gsfeadmins Episode 12 podcast) and a hearty endorsement of two-factor authentication from Jason , inspired by the Reply All Podcast Episode #91: The Russian Passenger. Check our shownotes below for all referenced links from the show, which are also available on http://edtechsr.com/links. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates. Next week we'll be back on Wednesday night but will broadcast 2 hours earlier than normal. If you listen to and enjoy the show, please provide us with feedback by submitting our short listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 45

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 03:17:39 GMT

Another Seedlings podcast mini-reunion! Welcome to episode 45 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 29, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was again out on assignment, so Wes Fryer (@wfryer) joined Maine educators Alice Barr (@alicebarr) and Cheryl Oakes (@cheryloakes50) for a discussion about their recent trip to Brazil and experiences at the "Amplifica Conference" in Sao Paulo. Alice and Cheryl also shared some updates about 1:1 learning in their respective schools, and discussed a few recent technology news articles. These included articles about tech moguls who severely restrict their own children's access to technology and social media, a recent National Geographic (April 2017) article about cyborgs ("Beyond Human") and recent announcements by Apple about updates to the Classroom app as well as less expensive, entry-level iPads. Check out all our shownotes on edtechsr.com/links, and be sure to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR. Next week we anticipate being back at our "normal time" (10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific) and Jason may make another appearance on the show after a four week hiatus of travel and conferences. Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey, linked in the shownotes, and also reach out to us on Twitter if you listen to and enjoy the show. We're very interested in and responsive to your feedback! Also turn back to Episode 26 on October 19, 2016, for the first Seedlings mini-reunion on EdTechSR with Alice and Cheryl.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 44

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 04:14:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 44 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 22, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment this week. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Wes Fryer "flew solo" in tonight's episode which featured discussion about Apple's new iPad announcements this week, new "Share to Kindle" features in iOS, and Screentime / Digital Citizenship. In addition (as usual) articles relating to security, surveillance, and privacy were discussed, as well as some very insightful (and troubling) articles falling within the topic "Fake News, AI and Technology Dark Arts in Elections." Wes' Geek of the Week was the company Securi, which specializes in security hack prevention and hack cleanup for WordPress websites. Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr. Tune in next week for a special show with Maine educators Alice Barr (@alicebarr) and Cheryl Oakes (@cheryloakes50) who recently presented at an educational technology conference in Brazil. Next week we will also start 1 hour earlier than normal, at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 6 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 43

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 05:17:35 GMT

Welcome to episode 43 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 8, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment this week. Carrying the #edtechSR torch forward, Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the lackluster state of iBooks and the "abandonware" status of iBooks Author. They also explored the implications of Vault 7, the WikiLeaks archive of alleged CIA documents which highlights security vulnerabilities in supposed "secure" messaging apps and platforms, as well as the hackability of smartTVs and other iOT devices. Miguel and Wes talked about the educational implications of these announcements, especially as they relate to digital citizenship, privacy, and Constitutional / human rights. Wes briefly highlighted the DNA storage milestone of the past week (215 petabytes per gram) as well as an enlightening article on the future of Apple's Macintosh computer and various revenue streams. Shout outs were shared by Wes to Susan Bearden's excellent book "Digital Citizenship: A Community-Based Approach," Brian Krebs' book "Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime-from Global Epidemic to Your Front Door," and the Committed Podcast (a weekly tech podcast.) Miguel's Geeks of the Week included an excellent smartphone microphone for podcast interview recording (iRig Mic Cast), an amazing web-based audio editor (Beautiful Audio Editor for Chrome), and the book "Digital Media in the Classroom." Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 42

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 04:33:27 GMT

Welcome to episode 42 of the EdTech Situation Room from March 1, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Walt Mossberg's recent analysis and hopeful prediction of an Apple iOS laptop, the uncertain future of Google's Pixel Chromebook laptop, and a host of Apple product rumors including USB-C charging cables for iOS, updates to the iPad lineup, and new additions to the Apple Pro hardware line. As we often do, we jumped into some privacy / surveillance state rabbit holes with recent articles about big data and artificial intelligence (Big Nudge), the need for ethics and a Hippocratic Oath ("Do no harm") in computer science programs, and the use of state-sponsored propaganda as well as carefully tuned marketing messages to direct public opinion and influence elections. Geeks of the week included StackUp (get credit for what you read online), hypothes.is (interactive annotation online), and the "Data Selfie" Chrome extension. Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 41

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 02:35:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 41 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 22, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and Ben Wilkoff (@bhwilkoff - aka "the 12th man of @edtechSR) discussed unlimited cell phone carrier plans, rumored Apple iPad and iPhone upgrades, the privacy and surveillance hazards of taking a smartphone on an international trip, and slow, disruptive changes brought by technology to network television. They also discussed the continuing relevance of "old school" technologies like email in the workplace. Geeks of the week included Skitch for Mac, Canva for image/graphic design, extensions.af and Toby for browser tab management. Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 40

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 05:46:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 40 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 15, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the dangers posed by IoT (Internet of Things) hacks, the new 802.11ax wifi standard which will bring greater capacity to our networks, strategies to address fake news, and the ongoing demise of Twitter from a financial / investment perspective. They also discussed automation and the danger it poses to middle class jobs, a recent Guardian editorial piece about rejecting standardization in schools, and the amazing capabilities technology has brought us in the last 20 years. Geeks of the week included iThemes Security Pro for WordPress (Wes) and the "3-2-1 backup strategy (Jason). Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 39

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 05:46:52 GMT

Welcome to episode 39 of the EdTech Situation Room from February 1, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Jennifer Carey (@teacherjencarey) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed screen time and a recent response by Derrick Willard (@dwillard) to a provocative Time editorial. They also discussed the recent sunsetting announcement of Club Penguin by Disney, the importance of parents getting into the virtual worlds their kids are playing in and exploring, and Microsoft's forthcoming "Windows 10 Cloud" product release. The recent successful ransomeware attack on an Austrian hotel, hacking the Internet of Things, uses for digital assistants like Google Home and Alexa, the importance of 2 step verification, and the dangers of Google Authenticator were also addressed. In a "Geek of the Week" bonus moment, Jason shared the $30 bluetooth lightbulb and speaker (from Amazon) which he's using now at home. Official geeks of the week included the new NPR series "The Privacy Paradox" (Jen), updates to Google Voice (Jason), and "Advanced / Cyborg / Centaur Chess" (Wes) via Kevin Kelly's (@kevin2kelly) outstanding book, “The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future.” Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 38

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 05:19:49 GMT

Welcome to episode 38 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 25, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Ben Wilkoff (@bhwilkoff) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed in-depth the new Chromebook announcements by the Google Chrome team, Samsung and Asus, and Microsoft's announcement of "Intune for Education," a cloud-based tool offering functionality to manage Windows10 devices similar to the Administration console in Google Apps for Education (gSuite). They discussed the alarming aggregation of data on millions of U.S. citizens by private companies using innocuous sounding web interactives like "Facebook quizzes." Topics also included a recent major ransomware security event in U.S. libraries, China's new crackdown on VPN connections, Walt Mossburg's reflection on FireFox (the first serious alternative to the dominant Internet Explorer browser from Microsoft), and Trump's new appointee to lead the FCC who may be hostile to network neutrality. Geeks of the week included resources and tutorial videos to help with USB-C dongle confusion (Jason), a very cool family Raspberry Pi project with local weather (Ben), and TinkerCAD's 3D design export functionality to Minecraft (Wes). Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 37

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 05:55:31 GMT

Welcome to episode 37 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 18, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Eric Langhorst (@elanghorst) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed LinkedIn privacy policy changes, the major updates to Evernote and the Evernote mobile app, the excellent job prospects for physicists in coding, and the negative role of advertising in the online news landscape. Additional topics included the use of more tricky phishing schemes by hackers, the continuing development of personal assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, President Obama's recent interview with the New York Times discussing his recent favorite books to read, and the ability of AI to predict the mortality of heart disease patients with startling accuracy. Geeks of the week included Bitdefender, the Ancestry Education grant, and SimpleNote. Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 36

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 05:43:13 GMT

Welcome to episode 36 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 11, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show (as well as some we didn’t have time to discuss.) This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Eric Langhorst (@elanghorst), Ben Wilkoff (@bhwilkoff) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) reflected back on 10 years ago when Steve Jobs first announced the iPhone, discussed new "2 in 1" laptops announced this week at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Store, and more! Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming show times. Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 35

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 04:57:56 GMT

Welcome to episode 35 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 4, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This was our first show of 2017, starting our second year of live webcasts on YouTube and archived audio podcasts! Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show (as well as some we didn’t have time to discuss.) This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed news coming out of the soon-to-start Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. They also discussed the rise of VPAs (virtual personal assistants), genomics and the potential of CRISPR to not only transform agriculture but also impact a wide variety of medical applications, our need for more family-oriented connection apps, and the recent legislative victory of French workers over the tyranny of work email. They also talked about "The Trump Effect" as described by Walt Mossberg as well as the ability for Google's DeepMind AI to read lips better than human beings. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming show times. Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 34

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 05:44:05 GMT

Welcome to the 2016 EdTech Year in Review, the final episode of the EdTech Situation Room for the year! Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Eric Langhorst (@elanghorst) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed many of the most notable topics and technology news stories from year as they relate to schools, education and teaching. These included fake news during the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, artificial intelligence and Google's new "AI First" strategies, cybersecurity, screentime, 3D printing, and the struggles of Apple with the new MacBook Pro. Geeks of the Week included inexpensive world phones / global GSM phones (Jason), the Photo Scan app from Google (Eric), and the book "Raising the Floor" by Andy Stern (Wes). Check out our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links for all referenced articles and resources from the show. Please fill out our listener survey on http://wfryer.me/edtechsr to let us know where you’re tuning in from and what you’ve liked from our shows. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date on upcoming shows in 2017!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 33

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 05:43:57 GMT

It's the holiday season, and for episode 33 we've brought you a special "Technology Shopping Cart" panel discussion helping you find the perfect gifts for the tech nerds in your life! Welcome to the EdTech Situation Room from December 14, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. This week we had four panelists including Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach), Martin Horejsi, Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) share book recommendations and techie gift ideas under $10, in the $10 - $20 range, and the over $100 category. Everyone also shared a movie or video series recommendation to check out over the holidays. You'll definitely want to visit our shownotes this week for a complete list of referenced links. If you purchase something, read something, or watch something as a result of our show please let us know! We'll be back for one more episode in 2017 with our "EdTech Year in Review" show, but that date will be announced pending Jason's European vacation travel plans. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates about that show's date and time, which will most likely break with our "normal" Wednesday night routine. Please also fill out our listener survey at http://wfryer.me/edtechsr to let us know where you're tuning in from and what you've liked from our shows. Have a safe, restful, and joyful holiday everyone! (And go download Miguel's FREE security ebook right away, you'll feel much safer after you read it and change your personal security habits as a result!)

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 32

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 05:02:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 32 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 7, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show (as well as some we didn't have time to discuss.) This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the launch of the new Google WiFi home router, screen time surveys for adults and kids, Gmail account hacks to well known politician accounts (Colin Powell and John Podesta) via clever phishing attacks, and recent Apple headlines about MacBook Pro issues. A considerable part of the show focused on Carole Cadwalladr's recent article for The Guardian, "Google, democracy and the truth about internet search," and the resulting response by Google to alter auto-complete search results. Thanks to Peggy George (@pgeorge) for sharing the excellent TEDtalk video, "Machine intelligence makes human morals more important" byZeynep Tufekci (@zeynep). Jason shared a collection of "travel nerd" websites for his geek of the week, and Wes shared https://safeshare.tv. Next week we'll have a special "Technology Shopping Cart" episode, and then be off the week of December 21st for the holiday break. We'll be back with an end-of-year "2016 Technology Year in Review Show" either the last week of December or the first week of January. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming show times. Please refer to our podcast shownotes for links to all referenced articles, videos, and resources from the show, and take a few minutes to complete our listener survey!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 31

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 04:40:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 31 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 30, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show (as well as some we didn't have time to discuss.) This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Martin Horejsi discussed the implications of President-elect Trump's use of Twitter and first direct use of YouTube to communicate with the U.S. electorate instead of calling a traditional press conference. They also discussed implications of our social media dominated news and information landscape, especially as it pertains to journalism and the historic role of journalists to be the "news reporters" and not necessarily the "new analyzers." They discussed Apple's recent announcement that "air pods are coming soon" as well as new rumors of an iPad Air 3, and what upgrades or improvements are even possible now in the iPad line beside speed bumps. Jason and Martin also discussed Netflix' announcement about offline downloads being available for certain shows, and what this might mean for cord cutters at home as well as travelers. Geeks of the week included Amazon's facial recognition system "Rekognition" (from Jason) and the FLIR Infrared Camera for iOS/Android (from Martin). Check out the shownotes below for links to referenced articles and websites from the show. Also please fill out our listener survey if you have not already!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 30

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 04:04:22 GMT

Welcome to episode 30 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 22, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show (as well as some we didn't have time to discuss.) This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the challenges of "fake news" continuing to be shared in the aftermath of the U.S. election, and the responsibilities we have to vet and verify articles before passing them on to others. The future of net neutrality in the Trump administration, the rumored end to development of Apple's AirPort routers, and the impact of both robotics and artificial intelligence on global labor markets were also addressed. As always, Jason and Wes focused on the impact and relevance of these stories for teachers. Please follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. You can also reach out to Jason and Wes on Twitter to share feedback, questions, or just let them know you're tuning into the show! If you're in the United States on holiday this week, have a restful and joy-filled Thanksgiving break!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 29

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 06:11:11 GMT

Welcome to episode 29 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 16, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jen Carey (@TeacherJenCarey) joined Wes Fryer for a YouTube Live conversation about student privacy, government and corporate surveillance, digital citizenship, strategies to stem the onslaught of fake news, helpful Google Chrome extensions, and more! Geeks of the Week included the app Google PhotoScan and ATLIS (The Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools) from Jen, and several from Wes. Those included "Chromebook Apps Thumbnail links from Maize, Kansas," Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points (from Apple), and Google Street View Animator. Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 28

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 05:21:16 GMT

Welcome to episode 28 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 9, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) briefly discussed the historic and surprising (to many) U.S. Presidential election result, but spent the majority of the show talking about "Digital Citizenship in the Surveillance State." Wes and Jason have submitted a proposal for ISTE 2017 on this topic (www.edtechSR.com/nsa) and Wes will be sharing a TEDx talk on this subject in Enid, Oklahoma, on November 19th. This week's discussions served, in part, as brainstorming and preparation time for both of those presentations. In addition to the "related resources" available at the bottom of www.edtechSR.com/nsa, check out the "Guiding Questions" we used for the show on our shownotes page at www.edtechSR.com/links. Some of the questions we addressed in this show included: What personal stories can you share which highlight the importance of this discussion about surveillance? What is the current state of surveillance in the United States and why does it matter? Where do you draw the line between reasonable awareness / concern about surveillance and paranoia / unreasonable fear? How can people best stay up to date on surveillance issues? Geeks of the week included "Google Home" (Jason) and "CMRA for Apple Watch" (Wes). Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. Your feedback and suggestions on the show are appreciated!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 27

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 04:33:29 GMT

Welcome to episode 27 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 2, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a variety of announcements from both Microsoft and Apple from recent PR events. Topics included Microsoft's Surface Studio, Apple's refreshed MacBook Pro, AppleTV updates, and the changing identities as well as customer niche foci of Microsoft and Apple. Jason and Wes discussed the wisdom or folly of Apple going "all in" for the USB-C port in new MacBooks, and the possibility that laptop innovation has plateaued across platforms today. They also talked about the massive and unprecedented cybertattacks from two weeks ago, the role of hacked IoT (Internet of Things) devices in the attack, and the implications of this hostile cyber-environment for consumers as well as schools. Wes gave a big shout out to Brian Krebs, his security blog, and 2014 book "Spam Nation - The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime-from Global Epidemic to Your Front Door." Geeks of the week included the WorkFrom App for iOS (from Jason) and political messaging games on GOParcade.com (from Wes). Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. Your feedback and suggestions on the show are appreciated!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 26

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 02:26:32 GMT

A Seedlings podcast mini-reunion! Welcome to episode 26 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 19, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was again out on assignment, so Wes Fryer (@wfryer) joined Alice Barr (@alicebarr) and Cheryl Oakes (@cheryloakes50) for a discussion about recent technology news affecting the world of education. Alice and Cheryl have been educational podcasters for MANY years, and are two of Wes' personal "podparents" (if such a thing is a thing...) "Seedlings Forever!" Alice, Cheryl and Wes talked about new study statistics showing teens significantly prefer Snapchat and Instagram over Facebook for social media interaction, and how many kids (even older ones who are pre-service teachers) have difficulty viewing and using Twitter for professional networking. They discussed the recent name change of "Google Apps" by Google to the "G Suite," and both Alice and Cheryl shared a few of their takeaways from last summer's Google Geo Institute in Mountain View, California. Show participants also discussed the recent Vox interview article with Andy Stern (@AndyStern_DC), author of "Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic Income Can Renew Our Economy and Rebuild the American Dream." The title of the Vox article was, "Why we need to plan for a future without jobs." Geeks of the week included Rewordify.com, "Time Saving Tips from GSuite for Education," TubeBuddy for YouTube, the GAFE Admins Podcast (@gafeadm1ns), and the Providence Day School Digital Citizenship website. Thanks to our live viewers Jamie Camp (@connect2jamie) and Peggy George (@pgeorge) who persevered with us despite some technical difficulties! Cheryl ended up joining via iPhone speakerphone, so that is why there is a sync issue with her video and her audio quality wasn't stellar. We were and are THRILLED that this YouTube Live Google Hangout could take place, however, and hope you'll share feedback with all of us if you listen and enjoy the show. Please also take a moment to respond to our listener survey, which is linked in our shownotes. All links from this and past shows are available on http://edtechsr.com/links and you can follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date for future shows. Next week we anticipate being back at our "normal time" (10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific) and will feature yet another guest. Thanks for tuning into the EdTech Situation Room!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 25

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 04:08:12 GMT

Welcome to episode 25 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 12, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment, so Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) joined Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin) for a lively conversation about the positive power of Internet technologies to connect us to information as well as each other. Discussion also focused on Google's new Duo videoconferencing and collaboration platform/app, the implications of AI (artificial intelligence) for our lives and our classrooms, and a recent anti-tech rant by educational policy wonk Diane Ravitch. Wes shared a shout-out to the new "Voices of DARPA" podcast, and Miguel reflect how the outbreak of "predatory academic journals" reminds of the mid-2000's as blogs exploded and many pundits heralded the end of information trust and credible sources. Miguel's Geeks of the Week included the OneNote app and OneNote for Teachers, The Microsoft Selfie app (no that's not a joke, it's a real app) and Google Duo. Wes' Geeks of the Week included the free "Simple Footnotes WordPress Plugin" and the amazing "Interactive Current Earth Wind Map" shared last week during landfall of Hurricane Matthew by @thekidshouldsee. Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. Thanks to our live viewers who joined us for this show! Next week we're likely to feature some special guests from Maine, and will be moving the show to start two hours earlier at 8 pm Eastern / 7 pm Central / 6 pm Mountain / 5 pm Pacific. Please join us live if you can, give us a shout out if you listen or watch later!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 24

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 06 Oct 2016 04:07:03 GMT

Welcome to episode 24 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 5, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the challenges of teaching civics in a heated election season and the affordances of social media during election debates. They also discussed some highlights from Google's Pixel Phone event this week, including the Pixel phone, new wifi routers, a new Google Home device, and the role of AI (artificial intelligence) in Google's corporate products and services evolution. The rumor of an October 27th MacBook laptop refresh was also discussed, along with some iPhone/Android phone comparisons. Wes shared an endorsement for the new movie "Snowden" and gave a shout out to ProPublica's new article series, "BREAKING THE BLACK BOX: What Facebook Knows About You." Jason and Wes also discussed their ISTE 2017 submitted proposal for a session titled, "Digital Citizenship in Our Surveillance State." Geeks of the week included the importance of ordering OEM certified computer chargers and the free iOS composition apps, "MusiQuest – Music & Beat Maker" and "Sketch-a-Song Kids." Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. Your feedback and suggestions on the show are appreciated!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 23

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 13:11:50 GMT

Welcome to episode 23 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 28, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Martin Horejsi (@martinhorejsi) hosted the show and dived into a variety of technology related topics. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) was out on assignment this week and was not able to join live. Topics for episode 23 with Jason and Martin included the recently released Horizon Report (K12 Edition) and a great discussion about classroom learning spaces. They also discussed Elon Musk's recently updated vision for Mars colonization, and the uses of technology to both fact check and distract viewers Monday night during the first U.S. Presidential candidate debate. Martin's geek of the week was the TI-Innovator Hub, and Jason's was the Flash Forward Podcast. Check out the episode shownotes for links to referenced articles and geeks of the week. Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. Your feedback and suggestions on the show are appreciated!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 22

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 04:30:50 GMT

Welcome to episode 22 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 14, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) had a special show. Rather than discuss a variety of recent technology news headlines, episode 22 focused exclusively on Dr. Nicholas Kardaras' August 31, 2016 article for TIME Magazine, "Screens In Schools Are a $60 Billion Hoax." The article highlights many of the key points in Kardaras' newly published book, "Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids—and How to Break the Trance." Jason and Wes highlighted several of the valid points from the article regarding screentime, the powerful physiological influence of digital screens, and digital addictions. They also acknowledged misdirected educational technology movements, like the interactive whiteboard craze of the 2000's and the race for educational technology companies to move standardized student assessments onto digital screens. Jason and Wes took issue, however, with Kardaras' assertion that students in schools are better served with completely screen-free learning experiences. Referencing Neil Postman, John Seely Brown and other authors, they discussed how part of our obligation as educators it to prepare students to navigate the maze of digital distractions and information flows which characterize our modern age. Wes discussed the transformative benefits which digital technology can bring in differentiating reading experiences for students, and highlighted the example of his wife's 3rd and 4th grade classroom in Oklahoma City which serves homeless students and families. Shelly Fryer (@sfryer) has taught in a 1:1 iPad classroom for the past 3 years, and uses apps like News-O-Matic to provide developmentally appropriate reading articles for students. Her students also use their technology tools to make and create, showing and sharing their learning and their developing skills. Jason took on the question, "If everything Kardaras' argues is true, then what for schools?" He pointed out we can't "un-invent" digital screens, so it's important to help students become more saavy, intentional, and constructive users of digital screens to support learning and healthy living. Geeks of the week included amazing and affordable headphones from Monoprice (via Jason) and the free coding app for young kids, PBS Scratch Jr (from Wes). Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. Your feedback and suggestions on the show are appreciated!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 21

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 04:40:58 GMT

Welcome to episode 21 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 7, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the much-heralded Apple Event from earlier today which featured the announcement of the iPhone 7. Jason and Wes, in classic "Yayyyyy! …. or Mehhhhhhh…" analysis, broke down the major elements of the Apple Event. This included the iPhone 7 camera, the death of the headphone jack, newly announced AirPods, The Apple Watch Series 2, and iWork real-time collaboration. They also discussed missing announcements from the event, which included updates to the MacBook lineup, MacPro updates, iMac updates, or iPad/iPad Mini updates. They briefly discussed the Time Magazine article from August 31st, "Screens In Schools Are a $60 Billion Hoax," and agreed to dedicate next week's show entirely to analysis and responses to the varied (and slippery) arguments put forth by Nicholas Kardaras in the piece. Geeks of the week included the the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide (from Jason) and two outstanding videos to watch (from Wes) by Travor Muir and National Geographic. Check out the episode shownotes for links to referenced articles and resources. Also be sure to view our Google Doc with archived links from every show on edtechSR.com/links. Remember to follow us on Twitter @edtechSR and complete our listener/viewer survey, linked first this week in the shownotes! Your feedback counts and we love to hear from our fans around the world! (Note: About 18:45 of the show, we had some bandwidth hiccups in the Google Hangout... and we didn't edit out that dead space from the show, so please persevere through this minor glitch. Overall given our tech constraints tonight, we're thrilled with the audio and video quality!)

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 20

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 04:39:51 GMT

Welcome to episode 20 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 24, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the ascendency of smartphones as the primary media consumptive screen in U.S. households, NASA's recent announcement to make all its research openly accessible, Google's decision to discontinue Chrome apps for Mac and Windows, and Verizon's continuing metamorphosis from a "baby bell" telco to a global corporate player in digital media. The November 2015 article in the Atlantic by Walter Kirn, "If You’re Not Paranoid, You’re Crazy" was also a catalyst for reflections in the show, as well as NASA's press release about it's newly installed docking portal in the International Space Station for commercial space vehicles from SpaceX, Boeing, and other companies. Check out all our podcast shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/edtechSR. Please submit our short (6 question) listener survey using this link: http://wfryer/me/edtechsr

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 19

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 04:22:55 GMT

Welcome to episode 19 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 17, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a heartwarming story from the Rio Olympics, the role (or non-role) of videoconferencing and live streaming in many K12 classrooms, the shutdown of Blab and the migration of Google Hangouts from Google+ to YouTube Live. Additional topics included the DMCA and "safe harbor" in the recording industry's latest efforts to increase their take of streaming music revenues from YouTube, Verizon's efforts to become a media company, the imminent arrival of Android apps to a Chromebook near you, and the effects of both social media and mobile screens on young minds. Geeks of the week included Remind.com and playposit.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date upcoming live shows. Please reach out to us via Twitter and let us what you liked about the show and what you'd like to hear about in future episodes! Check out our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 18

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 04:08:21 GMT

Welcome to episode 18 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 3, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the impacts of cell phone availability for refugees in Greece, security and a new hack announced at the Black Hat Conference, millenial preferences for Microsoft Word over Google Docs for individual projects, the present and future of eBooks, the DNA revolution and DIY genomics. Geeks of the week included Paperpile (a software tool for research citations) and the @pfsense SG-2220 router. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date on our live shows. If you listen to the show and especially if you like it, please reach out to us via Twitter and let us know! Check out our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 17

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 05:15:30 GMT

Welcome to episode 17 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 27, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the implications of Verizon's announced purchase of Yahoo, the continued viral phenomenon of Pokemon Go, recent "billions records" of Apple and Facebook, and SpaceX's successful launch of a new door for the International Space Station. Geeks of the week included the ViewMaster VR Headset, the 360 degree video panorama live broadcast from the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, a crowd-sourced list of educational apps and videos for Google Cardboard, and the amazing Prisma app available for iOS and Android. Please follow us on Twitter for updates on shows @edtechSR, and check out our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 16

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 05:07:42 GMT

Welcome to episode 16 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 13, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new Android phone security hacks, the viral phenomenon of Pokemon Go, and signs of the continuing disruptive upheaval of worldwide video distribution. We used a Google Hangout this week instead of Blab, but had some bandwidth issues which created some audio skips and interruptions in our webcast and podcast recording. We will continue to work on these connectivity and recording issues to bring you better audio next week! Please follow us on Twitter for updates on shows @edtechSR, and check out our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 15

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 06:39:25 GMT

Welcome to episode 15 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 28, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) were together in person at the ISTE Conference in Denver, Colorado! Following the day 2 keynote, they recorded a conversation about some of the exciting new announcements by Google, Amazon, and other companies during ISTE. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to referenced articles, which are also available on http://edtechsr.com/links. We had recording problems (again) with Blab, so are considering moving to a new livestreaming platform for the show. If you have suggestions we'd love to hear them! We're considering Facebook Live or YouTube. We will NOT have a show next week on July 6 but should be back July 13. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay updated about days, times, and links for future live shows. We'd love for you to join us live if you can, and to send us feedback whenever you are able to listen to our show. Thanks for tuning in!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 14

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 04:35:01 GMT

Welcome to episode 14 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 22, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) shared their best advice for educators attending the 2016 ISTE (International Society of Technology in Education) conference in Denver, Colorado. They also discussed important announcements from Apple's recent Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) and what those may portend for teachers and schools. Additional news articles of discussion included the use of Periscope video on June 22nd by CSPAN when the US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan stopped "standard" TV coverage of a Democratic Party sit-in and the recent purchase of LinkedIn by Microsoft. Geeks of the Week included Jason's pro-tip to shop for gamer-marketed computer mice and keyboards, and Wes' recommendation of a $50 Jedi knight Star Wars costume on Amazon. Thanks to our live viewers Peggy in Arizona and Juan in Columbia for joining us live. We're a worldwide show! Next week we'll be broadcasting LIVE from ISTE in Denver, please mark your calendar and plan to join us. Also remember to follow @edtechSR on Twitter to stay updated with our latest episode showtimes. Note Wes had some bandwidth issues at about 51:30 of the show, so about 5 minutes of the webshow was edited out of the audio version of this episode but included in the video version.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 13

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 04:39:26 GMT

Welcome to episode 13 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 8, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new research on teen media multitasking and cognition, project management software options including a new offering from Microsoft, more rumors of Apple's WWDC event next week, continuing security / password hacks in the news and good advice for protecting your own web accounts, and more. Geeks of the week included Silicon Valley on HBO and the upcoming Coding and Minecraft Camps for Girls offered by Connected Camps. Check our updated episode links on http://edtechsr.com/links as well as the shownotes below for all the articles and resources mentioned in the show. Please reach out to us on Twitter or leave a comment to share feedback or just let us know you listened to the show and enjoyed it! Next week we will either be rescheduling or postponing due to a family birthday conflict, but we definitely WILL be both attending ISTE 2016 at the end of the month and hope to host a show there live from Denver! Follow @edtechSR on Twitter to stay updated with our latest episode dates, we'd love to have you join us live sometime!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 12

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 02:48:20 GMT

Welcome to episode 12 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 1, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This weekJason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed spatial computing, an amazing discovery in Kazakhstan from 2015 by a Google Earth user, and the way app designers often intentionally create digital addictions using "intermittent variable rewards" like slot machines in casinos. They also offered predications for Apple announcements at the upcoming WWDC and the first use of a military-grade drone in the continental United States for an agricultural bio-technology mapping project. Geeks of the week the retirement (death?) of some much-beloved Google Chrome extensions as well as Adobe's 2.0 version of the Adobe Voice app: Adobe Spark. Special kudos to our top fan and webcast attendee Peggy George in Phoenix, Arizona! Check out our podcast shownotes and our links page on http://edtechsr.com/links for all referenced resources and websites from our show. Tune in next week on Wednesday night at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific for another exciting, enthralling, amazing and inspiring episode of YOUR new digital addiction: The EdTech Situation Room!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 11

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Fri, 27 May 2016 04:49:13 GMT

Welcome to episode 11 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 4, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. We've been off for a few weeks and we're glad to be back! This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the evolving role of digital assistants powered by artificial intelligence, Google's announcement that the Google Play Store is coming to Chrome OS, and the continuing evolution of machine learning. Other discussion topics included learning experiences which cultivate "grit," Apple Stock (and Warren Buffett's response), and the sunset for floppy disks in US Air Force missile silos. Geeks of the week included Google's Project Aura and the upcoming National Week of Making in the United States, June 17-23, 2016. Check out the podcast shownotes for links to these and other resources, which you can also find on http://edtechsr.com/links. Please follow us on Twitter (@edtechSR) http://twitter.com/edtechSR for updates. We expect to be back on our regular Wednesday night schedule for next week's show. Hope you can join us live! Whether you listen to us live or in an archived format, we'd love your feedback on the show.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 10

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 05 May 2016 04:39:04 GMT

Welcome to episode 10 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 4, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the benefits of using Google Slides for presentation sharing, new updates to Google Classroom, desired updates for Google Apps for Education tools, the relation of maturing genomics & robotics industries to STEM education, the slow adoption dynamics of wearable technologies in the consumer market, and the reported comparative benefits of handwritten class notes over typed versions. Check out our shownotes and discussion links on http://edtechsr.com/links for all referenced resources. Jason shared Slide Carnival for his geek of the week, and Wes shared a couple fitness/nutrition apps as well as a recent slide deck on "Inside and Outside Sharing." As always your feedback on the show is welcome via Twitter or as a comment on our website. Tune in next Wednesday night at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain for more insightful analysis of the week's technology new stories from Jason and Wes!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 9

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 04:00:06 GMT

Welcome to episode 9 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 27, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed artificial intelligence, social media content moderation, cell phone hacking, open educational resources, and the demise of desktop PCs - and how each of these newsworthy developments relate to classrooms and schools. Jason shared The FiveThirtyEight Blog as his Geek of the Week, Wes shared Nuzzel and the "Full Spectrum Entry-Level Laser Cutter" as his Geeks of the Week. Tune in next Wednesday night at 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain for more insightful analysis of the week's technology new stories from Jason and Wes!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 8

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 03:50:32 GMT

where technology news meets educational analysis

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 7

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 04:23:55 GMT

Welcome to episode 7 of the EdTech Situation Room from April 6, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) faced some road warrior bandwidth blues, so the show went on with Jon Samuelson (@jonsamuelson) joining Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) to catch up on the heroic Oregon trek and adventure of Jon's family in past year along with some of the past week's technology news. Those topics included the FBI's decision to drop their lawsuit against Apple over iPhone encryption, the release of the Tesla Model 3 by Elon Musk, Google's April Fools Day video about Google Plastic, the ethics of 3D printing in veterinary hospitals, and Facebook's latest foray into video and livestreaming. We also expressed our undying admiration of Tony Vincent and fond memories of the amazing "Mobile Learning Experience" conference he hosted for five years with the Arizona K12 Center. Wes shared JuniorTube as his Geek of the Week link, and Jon shared Twitter user @irvspanish 's YouTube channel of Minecraft videos for ESL teachers and students. Check out our full list of shownotes (including Geek of the Week shares) on edtechsr.com/links.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 6

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 03:15:04 GMT

Welcome to Episode 6 of the EdTech Situation Room, the weekly webshow and podcast where technology news meets educational analysis! This week co-hosts Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discuss Apple's March 21st event and several other news items. These include the FBI/Apple faceoff over iPhone encryption, Google's AI Play Go, and Blendle's idea for saving journalism on the web.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 5

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 05:47:49 GMT

Welcome to Episode 5 of the EdTech Situation Room, the weekly webshow and podcast where technology news meets educational analysis! This week we had a lively discussion with special guest Ben Wilkoff (@bhwilkoff) along with show hosts Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer). Our conversations touched on the articles "Google Eliminates Right-Side Adds" (discussing the ascendency of mobile computing as well as the implications of our "you are the product" digital social environment,) "Veteran Station Crew Returns to Earth after Historic Mission," the amazing "State of EdTech from EdSurge" interactive article, and "Touch Screen Laptops Aren’t Just a Gimmick: They’re Actually Useful." As usual we wrapped up with some "Geek of the Week" links, and Ben totally blew Wes' mind with his Minecraft Pocket Edition server link. Check our podcast shownotes and http://edtechsr.com/links for all the referenced resources. We'll take a break next week (no show on March 9, 2016) but return on March 16th as Wes will attempt to host the show from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Viva la revolucion #edtech!

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 4

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 05:56:59 GMT

Episode 4 of of our Blab.im powered weekly podcast featured insightful commentary by special guest Mike Agostinelli (@mikegusto), as well as regular hosts Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer). Mike and Jason joined from the NCCE Conference in Seattle, Washington, and had better connectivity during the show than Wes did. Despite bandwidth challenges spiking in central Oklahoma, the show conversations included a refreshingly wide range of topics. These included the Michelle Obama announcement of the "Open eBooks’ App," the demise of Google's Picassa web photos service, the possibilities of IFTTT and the programmable Internet of Things (IOT), the announcement of forthcoming 5G cellular data connectivity, the urban/rural connectivity divide, and "The New Colonialism" (potentially) of Facebook and Google. Geek of the Week links included Google History, the Stickbot animation app, a mobile app for rotating videos and the AppleTV "Space Station Live" app. Check out our shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links for all our referenced resources and more. Remember to tune in next Wednesday night at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe

EdTech Situation Room Episode 3

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 05:27:19 GMT

We were joined for episode 3 of our Blab.im powered weekly podcast by educational technology guru and noted futurist Miguel Guhlin (@mguhlin) of San Antonio, Texas! Hosts Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) met in "The EdTech Situation Room" on February 10, 2016, and discussed current news and trends in educational technology with Miguel. In this week's show we discussed our responses to the economic and digital hegemony of Google and Apple (actually we didn't use those words, but we did talk about that issue). We talked about Google's online store for 'books that can't be printed,' the importance of OER (Open Educational Resources) for schools, and the role of the printed textbook in an increasingly digital information landscape. Wes ranted a bit about the ascendant power of artificial intelligence, and Miguel revealed his true (and startling) personal views on DRM (digital rights management) as they relate to educational curricula. Jason challenged us to think about the permanency and durability of digital information in formats which, given time, are sure to be eclipsed by newer mediums. As always we wrapped up the show with some practical "Geek of the Week" links and tips. We'll take a week off and be back for episode 4 on February 24, 2016, when Jason will be broadcasting live from the NCCE Conference in Seattle, Washington. Check edtechSR.com/links for complete shownotes and referenced links. Please subscribe to us on Twitter (@edtechSR), on Blab.im/edtechSR and to our audio podcast channel. Our appeal of the mysterious suspension of our YouTube channel is still pending, but a YouTube playlist of our three episodes-to-date is available for your viewing pleasure. Please share The EdTech Situation Room with all your educator peeps! Please tweet us and share your feedback about and input for the lineup and format of our show. Tune in LIVE to our next show on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific. (We will NOT have a show on February 17, 2015)

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 2

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 06:39:03 GMT

Our second episode and first experience on Blab.im. We think Blab rocks! Hosts Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) met in "The EdTech Situation Room" on February 3, 2016, and discussed current news and trends in educational technology. In this week's show we discussed President Obama's "Computer Science for All" initiative, Apple's perceived need to innovate more with core iOS apps, an updated rehash on the implications of Apple's declining iPad sales, a video highlighting the possibility of larger, nineth planet in our solar system, and the future of both Yahoo and Flickr. We also talked briefly about the role of big data in U.S. elections, and shared our Geek of the Week links. Check the podcast shownotes or our shared Google Docs of links on http://edtechsr.com/links/ for more! Please tweet us and share your feedback about and input for the lineup and format of our show. Tune in LIVE to our next show on Wednesday, February 10, 2016, at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

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EdTech Situation Room Episode 1

podcast@speedofcreativity.org (Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 06:40:21 GMT

Our first official show! Hosts Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) met in "The EdTech Situation Room" on January 27, 2016, and discussed current news and trends in educational technology. Building on the fun of "The EdTech Year in Review" podcasts from 2014 and 2015, The EdTech Situation Room is a regular web show and podcast Jason and Wes are starting in 2016. Your feedback and input is welcomed! In future episodes we will be inviting guests to join us. In this show we discussed Microsoft's acquisition of MinecraftEDU, Apple's declining iPad sales, the future of Google Hangouts and Google Plus, and shared a handy iPad tripod mount as well as fantastic other podcast recommendation to check out as our "geek of the week" links.

Get full access to EdTech Situation Room Podcast at edtechsr.substack.com/subscribe