Flash Past: A look and discussion of events of the past

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Flash Past Introduction

News, tips and information impacting your life through technology.

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Show Notes Episode 24

What’s new in Tech!

• Newegg ships counterfeit i7’s
  
  • Intel investigates
• iPad goes on sale April 3rd
  
• Foursquare new tools for business

Discussion of the Cast

• Values of Businesses entering Social Media
• Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Tactics
• Monitoring and Measurements, ROI
  
  • Depends on how your business uses social media
  • (customer service, building a brand, maintaining a brand…)
    
• Transparency and authenticity
  
  • the good, bad and the ugly of auto-generated content
    
• Services to use and tactics

Personal Social Media

• Generational differences
  
• Geolocation
  
• Ethics and privacy
• Use in the work place
• Social Media and Higher Education (how do high school/college age students view social media?)

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Congress is Tweeting

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Sports Unleashed: Uncovering sports around the world.

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• Dave’s Topic: UConn women’s basketball record, more UConn here, and more UConn here
• Mikee’s Topic: Steelers issues and changes
• Ryan’s Topic: 2010 March Madness begins: conference championships and Selection Sunday this weekend

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As we continue to evolve as a nation and adapt to the changing American landscape, we continue to impress upon ourselves new and innovative ways of conducting business and government. The educational system is no different. Despite the chronic cycle of slashed budgets and growing classroom sizes (thanks in most part to State officials and value shifts), technology always seems to find a way of reducing the stress and anxiety on school boards, teachers, and administrators. Take the State of California’s Digital Textbook Initiative as an example.

California is suffering through a major budget situation that has grabbed the attention of everyone in the nation. Suffering from a budget shortfall of nearly $26 billion, educational leaders are beginning to think outside the box. Thanks to support from Governor Schwarzenegger and educational visionaries, the Digital Textbook Initiative provides electronic versions of math and science textbooks in the classroom. Future textbooks in the areas of history, social sciences, and language are soon to follow. Pilot programs and testing will begin in selected middle schools and high schools beginning with the new school year. Governor Schwarzenegger stated, “This is the information age. It stands to reason that our students’ textbooks should be as current as Google and other internet sources.” California is the first state in the nation to pilot such an ambitious program.

One angle to this story is recognizing that our decisions today have a gross environmental impact on the future of our planet and our resources. By replacing paper textbooks with electronic textbooks, we can potentially save millions of trees and reduce the volume of waste going to local landfills. Take a moment to consider the vast quantity of paper textbooks that are disposed of nationally and locally by the educational system. I do not have official data…but I have seen first hand the operations of a landfill and the numbers are excessive. On the other hand, once these e-books have become obsolete, damaged, or broken, they also need to be handled ethically, responsibly, and properly. This means school districts recycling or donating expired e-books to local libraries, non-profits, or other educational institutions. If maintained properly by students and school officials, e-books possess a longer lifespan than many textbooks. Finally, digital versions allow school districts to upgrade content remotely and keep content current with new versions or editions of a particular textbook. Therefore, we save on shipping expenses (cardboard, tape, packaging) and transportation (fuel, oil, maintenance). Saving on transportation reduces the volume of carbon dioxide and pollution entering our atmosphere.

In addition to the approach toward resource conservation, let us place financial terms on school textbooks. In the 2008-2009 school year, California spent approximately $218 million on K-12 text books, with the estimated cost per book ranging from $45 up to $100. This figure does not include monies spent by local school districts for specialized textbooks, textbook replacement, or advanced reading material. In the long term, digital versions are expected to be less costly and more efficient. Yes, the cost of purchasing millions of e-books will be pricey. As the initiative expands to other states and jurisdictions, my hope is that the technology improves, the rise of competition will drive prices down, and states encourage the use of e-books in the classroom.

In the spirit of brevity, I will conclude this posting by stating that e-books are a viable solution to reducing our environmental impact and carbon footprint in our world. However, with the status of the State of California, this initiative may not see immediate influence or impact. My hope is, as the technology continues to improve and as state officials recognize the opportunity that presents itself in e-book form, that other states and districts find a way to make this happen.

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Technology and Going Green

Flash Past:  A look and discussion of events of the past

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Show Notes

Thank you for iTunes reviews to:
EnviroDave
MadMikeKing

Handyman tricks

• Shaving Cream on bathroom mirrors (soap too)
• Tooth paste to repair wall holes
• Use a comb to hammer in small nails
• Best cleaning products ever – Baby Wipes
• Need more torque on that screwdriver – Punch a hole in tennis ball
• Measuring trick
• Boxed end wrench over the end of another wrench for extra torque
• Soap on a screw to make it go into wood more easily
• Butter on lip of pot of water it reduces the chance of boiling over
• Cut potato to remove broken light bulb
• Felt pads in door jambs to make closing more quiet
• Keep a paper towel tucked near battery under hood for checking oil
• Use newspaper or coffee filter when cleaning windows to reduce lint
• Cola to eat corrosion from battery cable ends (also cleans jewelry)
• Newspaper and fireplace soot to clean fireplace glass door

Wives tales:  A type of urban legend – Like ancient proverbs – Handed down through generations.

• Old wives tales – True of false
• Hair grows back darker and thicker after being shaved?  False
• Feed a cold, starve a fever – False
• Cloves help relieve toothache – True
• Swimming less than one hour after eating will cause craps – False
• Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis – False
• Double-dipping causes spread of germs – True

Flash Past Trivia Question

Last weeks Question:

Q:  How many people (men, women and children) were found to be missing in 1590 in the colony of Roanoke?
A:  90 men 17 women and 9 children – 116 total. (multiple answers)

Thank you to John Hanlon for submitting 117, which may be correct

This week’s question:

Q:  A number 10 wood screw has how many threads per inch?
A:  13

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Waves of  Tech:  impacting your life through technology.

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Show Notes Quick Cast 23

What’s New in Tech!

• Gaming industry loses jobs
• Windows 7 RC shut downs began yesterday 1 March
• Play Station cripples worldwide
• Motorolla/T-Mobile CLIQ bricked by update
• US military surrenders to social media, changes policy
• 3 arrested in botnet case
• Mac Heist Nano starts today

Dave’s Site of Interest: Data.gov
Mikee’s Site of Interest: Please Rob Me

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Video Gaming and Violence

Sports Unleashed: Uncovering sports around the world.

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Show Notes

• Dave’s Topic: MLB talk – Ryan’s Giants pitching rotation drama
• Mikee’s Topic: Michael Jordan and the Bobcats
• Ryan’s Topic: Final word on the 2010 Winter Olympic games. Final medal count, our favorite moments, surprises and the wide spectrum of emotions.

News from the Sidelines

• Shaq’s thumb surgery will sideline him for 6-8 weeks
• Thomas Jones expected to be released as the NFL running back shuffle continues
• Allen Iverson will not return to the 76ers this season, a source close to the team said. An official announcement is expected from the Sixers within the next two days
• Spurs waive veteran Finley
• LeBron James files for a number change

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Flash Past:  A look and discussion of events of the past

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Show Notes

Examples/Discuss:

• Lost colony of Roanoke
• Shroud of Turin
• Area 51
• City of Atlantis
• Stonehenge
• Easter Island statues
  
• The Mayans
• Geoglyphs

Last weeks Trivia Question:

Trivia Winner: Jenny Wantt – We’ll be getting that iTunes gift card out to you.

This week’s trivia question:

Q:  How many people (men, women and children) were found to be missing in 1590 at the Colony of Roanoke?

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News, tips and information impacting your life through technology.

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Show Notes Episode 22

What’s new in tech!

*  A special thanks to Ray at The Podcasters Studio for playing our promo and if you are interesting in getting started in podcasting, check our Ray’s content.

What’s new in tech!

• DMV iPhone App
• Community Broadband
• E-Waste mounting
• Microsoft and Amazon sign patent deal
• YouTube to kill IE 6 on March 13
• Wal-Mart buys Vudu movie service
  

Discussion of the Cast

Starting your online presence: Methods and suggestions.

• Why would you want to be online?
• Domain names and registration
• Web Development
  • Static HTML
  • CMS
    • Wordpress
    • Drupal
    • Joomla
    • Blogger
  • Self/Outsourced Programming
    
• Web Hosting
  • • Godaddy
    • Hostgator
    • Bluehost
    • Self Hosting
• SEO
  • Google
  • Social Media
• Monitoring
  • Woopra
  • Google Webmaster Tools
  • Google Analytics
  • Third Party Apps
• Alternatives
  • You Tube
  • Ustream
    

Waves of Tech has other shows which might interest you.  Sports Unleashed and Flash Past

Listener line @ 661-368-5288. Check out our fan page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @wavesoftech

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Show Notes

• More commentary and background instead of more of what we love which is the actual competition
• Hype itself isn’t as great as Beijing

Steve’s Topic: Visit of Olympics Birds nest:  China vs. Canada, Broadcast of olympics in China.  Olympic Games vs. Olympics Sports

• Josh Howard and Allen Iverson are out for the season
• Duane Wade has no definitie time table for return
• Manny Ramirez questionable as a Dodger next year
• Lions are shopping their 2nd overall draft pick
• Martin Brodeur has been replaced with Roberto Luongo as starting Canadian goaltende

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In order to best utilize the tools in the social media tool belt a person should be selective of the services that he uses. Not all avenues of media are suited to all messages. An important rule of using social media is that it should be interactive. The internet levels the playing field between all men, well, all men with internet access. This is where John the jeweler can have a conversation with his elected officials without the campaign trail running through his yard. This can only be the case, however, if the official is making the most of the tools available. Making social media social is the key to its use.

All businesses and professional ventures where there is contact with the pubic in any way should be involved in this fast growing media movement. There should be a balance between messages, videos and status updates that relate directly to the business or work and those that indirectly relate. These messages are the ones that are of the most importance. An amazing opportunity is available here and it is not being seized by the majority of professionals using social media. By making half to even three quarters or more of one’s social media efforts focus on creating and joining in conversations about interesting topics a person or business can create trust among members of the social network. This will, in turn, drive traffic to the professional portion of the social media tool kit.

One professional arena where contact with the public is essential is politics. There has been some buzz about members of congress using Twitter at inappropriate times such as during session. I found a couple of websites that serve as link logs to congress people and other elected officials’ Twitter profile. There are also Twitter accounts for several national departments and agencies. The first of which is called SourceWatch.org; it is a Wikipedia like resource for internet based information regarding politics, politicians and government. The next is called Twitter.PBWorks.com; it is another source for links but it focuses strictly on the Twitter accounts of all departments, senators, congressmen and other government offices. The final and most telling website is TweetCongress.org. This website breaks down congressional tweeters in several different ways from most followers to most interactive.

What I found was that an astoundingly large portion of these accounts were displaying a recurring and negative theme. They were simply mouthpieces for their respective campaign or office. The information is largely flowing out and there is little and, often no, reciprocation of the conversation. Social media would be an excellent way for elected officials to interact with the voters if the official would only respond to messages and issues. What they possibly see as shenanigans and tomfoolery is really the root of social media’s benefit. Without the interaction and exchange then the message could have a detrimental effect on the politician.

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The video gaming industry is a billion dollar enterprise that is widely used and persistent in all age groups and cultural circles. Tournaments, now dedicated to single games such as Madden and World of Warcraft, are salient through society. Guitar Hero has become an international sensation, spawning YouTube videos and spots on syndicated TV shows. Games such as Grand Theft Auto and God of War have historically been under attack for excessive violence, guns, and killing. Several agencies and individuals are upset because younger audiences are getting these games through rental stores, online venues, piracy, and retail stores regardless of the current rating system. Many authors, newscasts, and individuals argue that the video gaming industry is deteriorating family, corrupting youth values, and causing excess violence.

Currently, Germany is working on banning the sale and production of violent video games. This is unfair to the video gaming industry and do not see this movement occurring in the US. The banning of violent video games does not address the root cause of violence in our society. Movies and television programs are designed to create a false reality in our minds. The problem – we associate movies and TV shows with reality, slowly resorting to what is seen on screen. If restrictions are placed on the gaming system, the same restrictions should be placed on other violent outlets. A word of caution to consider – this sort of ban on games may create an underground system for illegal activity, sale, and production of violent games.

The rating system is simply a tool designed to inform parents and users as to the content of the video game. As www.esrb.org reports, the gaming industry has a seven-tier system in place for rating games. Movies have a five-tier system (www.mpaa.org) and TV shows have a seven-tier system. By definition, the rating system is subjective and therefore open for interpretation by parents, users, and critics. The key to understanding the rating system is personal participation. Find out for yourself what the ratings mean, the details regarding specific wording, and what is appropriate for your child and yourself as a video gamer. The impact of video gaming on society is evident.

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Advancements in Technology

AT&T Offers Streaming TV Shows and Movies

*  1K Ram (Yes I did purchase the additional 16K Ram-Pak)
*  3.2 MHz processor
*  64×48 pixel resolution
*  Price: $100.00
The computer was connected to a television via a VHF connector and used a cassette recorder to load and save data.  The programming code was ZX81 basic.  Here is an example:
100 LET S = INT (RND *37)
110 IS S < 10 THEN PRINT “ “;
120 PRINT S;”    “;
130 GOTO 100

WOW!  This was incredible.  I could generate a random number.  I remember spending days typing in code, saving it to the cassette recorder then spend weeks debugging.  In many ways, I miss those days.  Everything was experimental and new – Little did I know what would occur almost 30 years later.  I never threw the little computer away as it continually reminds me of where we came from in the computer area.  I just might even hand this down and wait to see the expressions on great grand kids faces.

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Flash Past:  A look and discussion of events of the past

Show notes and free subscription

Show Notes

Examples/Discuss:

• Great Wall of China
• Empire State Building

• Eiffel tower
• Sphinx

• Colosseum
• National Parks

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News, tips and information impacting your life through technology.

Show notes and free subscriptionsFree Subscription Options:
Use our one-click buttons to subscribe easily to this podcast.

Show Notes Quick Cast 21

What’s New in Tech!

• RIM Unveils WebKit Internet Browser to Compete With IPhone
  • Demo Video
    
• Windows 7 mobile
  
• Verizon to allow unlimited Skype 3G calling
• Student’s Facebook Tirade Against Teacher Is Protected Speech
• Cutting yourself off to the electronic world during the Olympics?
  

Dave’s Site: http://www.shortcutworld.com/

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Show Notes

• Raiders Janikowski receives record deal for a kicker – a four-year, $16 million contract

• Mark McGwire reports to St. Louis camp on Wednesday

• Denver Nuggets HC George Karl diagnosed with throat cancer

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News, tips and information impacting your life through technology.

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Use our one-click buttons to subscribe easily to this podcast.

Show Notes Episode 20

What’s new in tech!

• Google Super Bowl Ad
• Facebook project Titan
  • Google to challenge Social Media
  • More Goole
    • Google Buzz
      
• Is Social Media too fast?
• Will Google become your ISP?

Discussion of the Cast

Portable computing: iPad and Apple products

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Flash Past:  A look and discussion of events of the past

Show notes and free subscription

Show Notes

Listen to this: Looney Tunes Theme Song

Examples/Discuss:

• Woody Woodpecker
• Bugs Bunny

• Wyle E. Coyote/Road Runner
• Smurfs
• He Man
• Snorks
• The Jetsons

• Rainbow Brite
• Transformers
• G.I. Joe
• Rocky and Bullwinkle

• Go Bots
• Flintstones
  
• Mr. Rogers
• Sesame Street
• Captain Kangaroo

• Mr. Wizard’s World

Flash Past Trivia Question

Last weeks Question:

Q: Bob Dylan is one of the most influential singer songwriters of all time with a career that has lasted for over 50 years.  What was his birth name?
A: Robert Zimmerman

This week’s question:

Q:  What were Donald Ducks parents names?

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Uncovering sports around the world.  Weekly discussion with unleashing thought.

Show notes and free subscriptions

Show Notes

• Dave’s Topic: Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Bowl

1. Saints beat five SB winning QBs (Manning, Brady, Warner, Favre, Manning)
2. The “could have been” MVP candidates (Thomas, Vilma, Porter, Roby)

• Seattle’s OT Walter Jones considers retirement
• WR Stallworth dumped by the Browns
• NASCAR season opens this weekend
• Kansas stays at #1 in NCAA Basketball
• The PAC-10 considers a possible expansion

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Flash Past:  A look and discussion of events of the past

Show notes and free subscription

Show Notes

Flash Past to: The early evolution of rock and roll

In 1951, Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey Alan Freed began broadcasting rhythm, blues, and country music for a multi-racial audience. Freed is often credited with first using the phrase “rock and roll” to describe the music he aired; its use is also credited to Freed’s sponsor, record store owner Leo Mintz, who encouraged Freed to play the music on the radio.

Hisory of Rock and Roll

• Chuck Berry
• Robert Johnson
• Elvis Presley
• The Beatles
• Jimi Hendrix
• Bob Dylan

Flash Past Trivia Question:

Last weeks Question:
In the 1960‘s variety show Smothers Brothers comedy hour. What are the brothers first names?
Answer: Tom and Dick

This weeks trivia question:
Q: Bob Dylan is one of the most influential singer songwriters of all time with a career that has lasted for over 50 years.  What was his birth name?

Flash Past is part of the Waves of Tech Podcasting Network.  Feel free to post comments at wavesoftech.com, email us at flashpast@wavesoftech.com or even voice mail on the listener line at 661-368-5288

Thank you for joining us for this episode of Flash Past and remember, the future is made of the past.

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