Oh wait, I do talk about it–in this short podcast!

Enjoy!

And then–tell me what YOU would like us to talk about at the other podcast “Real Tech for Real People” over at http://getthenext.com

Click here to listen to Real Tech 15

Click here to subscribe via iTunes

These items, and more, on Real Tech 15  (to see the links to the stories, go visit http://getthenext.com)

• Saving Electricity
• AT&T to “incentivize” iPhone owners to reduce usage?
• Google about to launch “un-locked” phone at a GREAT price?
• Apple to launch tablet in Spring 2010: Link to article
• Scosche adapter for charging iPhone 3G and 3Gs with older devices

Picks:

Josh : Website Pick : Knowem – Allows you to check for your username across multiple sites at one time.

Tony: iGoogle: http://google.com/ig – Using the iGoogle home page to organize content.

Chris: Lose It! iPhone app to track eating habits; Dragon Dictation, iPhone app. So impressive it has me going to order the desktop version. {This just in! Dragon Search [iTunes link] has just gone live on the App Store for the iPhone. You can set what you want to search, apparently, including Bing!}

Stevie Rocco: Posterous.com manage your social networking stuff.-

Steve: mSecure, for iPhone, Windows and Mac.

Past Picks of the Week now available at: http://tinyurl.com/RTPicks

Our websites to visit:

http://theprofessornotes.com – Steve Brady
http://targuman.org/blog/ [or http://engage.shc.psu.edu/] – Chris Brady
Show Voicemail: 814.808-JOE1 (814.808.531)

Tony is: tony.pittman@gmail.com or twitter.com/tonypittman

Steve is: scmprofessor@gmail.com or twitter.com/scmprofessor

That is really an interesting question.  Whether the desktop or a notebook/netbook computer, we were curious just how often those drives are used.  I use mine fairly regularly, but it is generally to create DVDs of the slideshows that I make for the HS Swim and Water Polo teams.  Other than that, the occasional file backup, and I too join the ranks of those who aren’t using them very often.

We also talked a bout about Windows 7 highlighting the 77 Windows 7 tips, and the challenges I had with the installation.  Of course, I had to later admit that some (um, most?) of the later problems were due to my failing to fully install one of the DDR3 memory sticks.

We had fun, and continue to enjoy talking about the technology that real people like to use.

We would love it if you would listen, and leave us feedback.

• Click here to listen.
• Click here to subscribe via iTunes.

Write us at:

Tony Pittman:  tony.pittman@gmail.com

Steve Brady: scmprofessor@gmail.com

Or call and leave us a voicemail at:

814-808-JOE1 (yes, we are both Joe Paterno fans.  Of course, Tony also played for Paterno!)

Earlier this month we recorded Episode 9 of our podcast (listen here or download/subscribe through iTunes.)  The highlights of that week included a discussion of “Femtocell” technology, which essentially means installing a box in your home, connected to your internet (cable or FiOS) that creates a micro-cellphone tower in your own home.  It only transmits voice, but the ability to make cellphone calls in homes when you previously couldn’t get a strong (or any) signal is quite appealing.

We also discussed the new Apple line-up including the 27″ iMac and the Magic Mouse.

Finally, I shared my first “pick of the week” in this podcast.  I selected the Mophie Juice Pack Air.  This is a case that not only provides protection for the iPhone but by including a lithium ion battery doubles the battery life of your iPhone.

We talked about a number of other things, including Tony’s pick of the week.  So, check out the podcast, and let us know what you would like us to research and talk about!  Write us at:

Tony Pittman:  tony.pittman@gmail.com

Steve Brady: scmprofessor@gmail.com

Or call and leave us a voicemail at:

814-808-JOE1 (yes, we are both Joe Paterno fans.  Of course, Tony also played for Paterno!)

Listen, join in, and let us know how you use technology, and what you would like us to talk about each week.  We are already lining up guest speakers, so tell us who you want to hear!

If the other link doesn’t work, listen here

I broke the presentation into three areas of collaboration:
1.  Data gathering (del.icio.us)
2.  Structuring of the research (wiki)
3.  Writing (Google Docs, Microsoft Live Mesh)

(note:  I say in the presentation that Live Mesh is Windows only.  Turns out I was a few versions wrong. It is now available for Mac OSX as well.)

Much of these tools allow us to work asynchronously, sharing information as we find it, and learning what our team has discovered as we have the time.  That said, I also talk about using communication tools such as Skype and Google Talk to work synchronously with your team when geographically separated.  I briefly referred to Twitter, but unfortunately, as much as I love Twitter (and you can find me on Twitter as @SCMProfessor) I don’t see it as a real engine to facilitate collaboration in conducting research.)

I also identified a few things that collaboration in research does:

1.  Fosters cooperation rather than competition
2.  Enables other researchers to share in the research (long discussion about what is and isn’t the outcome of our research).
3.  Speeds the cycle time of research (idea-data-analysis-draft-publication)

Finally, we discussed that the tools should:

1.  Be freely available
2.  Easily understandable audit trail
3.  Provide some levels of security

In the presentation I refer to a few documents (as Google Docs) that I have built to help my students collaborate in their research and project efforts.  First, I have the “Tools and Tutorials” document, where I provide links to not only the tools listed above, but links to helper sites for using these tools, as well as links to “really cool stuff.”

I also mentioned the document I give my students to guide them in the development of their podcast projects.  I even have a 12 step program for them!

So go, listen to the podcast, and please–come back and let me know how YOU are using Web 2.0 to work more closely with your colleagues.

The important thing to remember here is, our conversation was recorded ON Google Voice, using the re

Needless to say we enjoyed the experience–it’s a typical Google experience!

We did spend a few minutes talking about our various websites.

To learn more about my son’s water polo camp, or to have him design a custom branding image, go visit http://fathersonchats.com

Aaron has a couple of websites worth visiting.  Check out his personal site.  He and his wife have a good site going, and worth checking out, especially helping out with financial issues!

Finally, Aaron is beginning a new business of his own, so go check http://trimtabcreative.com

It provided not only a voicemail system, but an opportunity to record a call, and even download the voicemail or recording for later use (even as podcasts!)   Oh, and just like a regular answering machine in your house, there is an option to screen the call, listen as it records the voicemail, and jump in if it is “critical.”

Well, Google bought them (a while ago) and just today announced they are remaking it as “Google Voice.”

I have just converted to the new account, and Aaron over on Twitter (@aaronaiken) politely tested it with me.  He called, and I let it go to voice mail.  You can listen to the actual audio file below.

I watched as it first delivered the mail to the webpage inbox, and was immediately available to listen to, and download.

Then, after 2 minutes, provided the coolest new feature:

VOICEMAIL CONVERTED TO TEXT.

Yup, you read that right.  His voicemail was converted to text.  The darker the text in the display, the more confident the automated conversion system was of the words.  Here is a graphic of the actual voicemail.

As you can see it was pretty confident.  And honestly, it should be.  It got most of the grey words correct as well.  I am sure “your mileage may vary” but it was quite good!  Perhaps most interesting, it deleted out all the “verbal pauses.”

Within another minute I was not only notified by text message on my iPhone that I had a voicemail, but they delivered the text of that voicemail as well!

I hope to be testing out other features later today–so be on the lookout for a podcast, recorded using Google Voice, and the new “conference Call” feature!

One more thing:  If you haven’t yet, please consider helping my son get to water polo camp.  Even a simple one, or two, dollar donation would be great!

First, “I”  matter the most. In this new world we are all equally important, and apparently all have an equal right to be heard.  Unfortunately, in our rush to be heard we forget that we should also listen.  We are rushing to be heard, and ultimately result in simply asserting our right to speak.   In discussing an event he attended, he writes

“Everyone was simultaneously broadcasting  themselves, but nobody was listening. Out of this  anarchy, it suddenly became clear that what was  governing the infinite monkeys now inputting away on  the Internet was the law of digital Darwinism, the  survival of the loudest and most opinionated. Under  these rules, the only way to intellectually prevail is by  infinite filibustering.”

He then goes on to write

“The information business is  being transformed by the Internet into the sheer noise of a  hundred million bloggers all simultaneously talking about  themselves. “

So what?  What’s wrong with everyone writing about themselves?    His point is a bit more than simply we are producing too much noise.  When we do take time to read, and to listen, we are no longer availing ourselves of the filters of expertise.  We are starting to read and value uninformed, and ignorant, analysis over the informed and educated.  When we no longer look to experts for opinions on lofty and heady subjects we lose the ability to truly learn, and instead replace that with a sense of knowing and not a reality of knowing.

Second, from this drift away from the works of experts to amateurs, he argues that facts and truth are no longer immutable.

Again, he writes:

As Marshall Poe observed in the September 2006 issue of the  Atlantic:  We tend to think of truth as something that resides in  the world. The fact that two plus two equals four is  written in the stars…. But Wikipedia suggests a  different theory of truth. Just think about the way we  learn what words mean…. The community decides that  two plus two equals four the same way it decides what  an apple is: by consensus. Yes, that means that if the  community changes its mind and decides that two plus  two equals five, then two plus two does equal five. The  community isnâ€t likely to do such an absurd or useless  thing, but it has the ability.

What’s even more dangerous here than just the self-absorbed cacophony is that this new cult of the amateur actually elevates opinion to the same level as educated fact. Once we believe a few hours of exposure to a topic makes us “as good as” an expert, we substitute our knowledge for real knowledge.

I was listening to an ETS Talk podcast from Cole Camplese and his group at Penn State University — University Park.  They were attending a conference and Cole was mentioning the great work done by Michael Wesch and his students at Kansas State University.  In the discussion Cole talks about the change from the focus on the Professor, with 200+ hours of advanced coursework, to the “wisdom of the crowd.”  When they added up the experiences of the professor, and  his classes, they “discovered” that collectively they have over 24000 credit hours of study, and global experiences with humanitarian, military, and personal experiences, including collectively 24 years of military service in Iraq.  As if, somehow, having all that “introductory level experience” in any way compares to the depth of research, study and experience of the experts.  For example,

• If 100 students each took 8 credit hours of Calculus do those 800 hours somehow equate to a Math Professor who has taken 100 credit hours of advanced math?  (Let’s ignore the simple fact that most probably earned a C, and likely received a B.)
• Do  the 24 years of collective experience in Iraq in the military (most likely served by 24 junior enlisted troops serving in frontline positions) mean that they collectively are as good as the General who has served in varied posts for 24 years?

What bothers me here is not that we quickly accept these assertions without much reflection–it’s that some, in reading my two bullets above, may actually agree that they are in some way equivalent!  That is what Keen is speaking to when he argues we are losing the value of the experts.

The third point of Keen’s that speaks to me is when he argues that our efforts at creating, and embracing, the democratization of information actually is harming the creation of new knowledge. As he writes,

…a radically  democratic culture is hardly conducive to scholarship or to  the creation of wisdom. The reality is that we now live in a  highly specialized society, where excellence is rewarded and  where professionals receive years of training to properly do  their jobs, whether as doctors or journalists, environmental  scientists or clothing designers. In The Wealth of Nations,  economist Adam Smith reminds us that specialization and  division of labor is, in fact, the most revolutionary  achievement of capitalism:  The greatest improvement in the productive powers of  labour, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and  judgment with which it is any where directed, or  applied, seem to have been the effects of labour.

Keen goes on to argue that our tearing down of the existing structure for vetting information, and our apparent wilingness to go to other less reliable sources, results in the diminution of resources to further develop the skills necessary for true knowledge creation.   Some talk about this as being the “new economy” but imagine an economy based on not paying for what you receive.

Scary, right?

As I said, I am working through Keen’s book, and find it interesting and challenging.  Of course, I am writing about this on my own blog.  I even acknowledge that for me the writing is as much to help me think through things (listen to myself talk) as it is for anyone else.

But perhaps there is another view.  Perhaps we can transform the transmit only world into one where true engagement can take place.

Stay tuned–and in the meantime, take part in the engagement right here!  Leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Let’s actually “talk” rather than just read.

I welcome any thoughts you might have on how we can better use technology in business education, and specifically how we can better prepare students to use technology in the “real world” when they graduate.

Dominic Salvucci and Jimbo Lamb both thought it was a good idea, and we set a time, and the podcast proceeded from there!

It turns into a discussion about technology in the classroom, and we are setting stage for further discussions on technology, and how we introduce and allow students to use technology.

Let us know what you think in the comments here, and if you want to join us in a podcast, let us know!

-S

You can listen to the presentation at the official TLT Symposium 2008 site, or listen to it right here.

Well–you decide.

What have the teachers offered as compromise? From all reports, the teachers’ union has simply dug in their heels, and tried to convince the populace that the school board is failing to give them a pay raise.

Who wins, and who loses on a strike?

THE WINNERS:

Teachers think they will win, obviously. They have nothing to lose. They strike, they come back and teach, and even if they now accept the latest offer they get their full 9 months of pay (with a bonus check–remember the retroactive bit?)

The school board may or may not meet the (un-reported) demands of the teacher’s union. But regardless, the school board doesn’t “lose” anything.

THE LOSERS:

The students. They lose, because they have a loss of continuity in their education plan. They lose because for months now, teachers have been fostering a “hostile learning environment” keeping the students (and parents) wondering if, in 48 hours, there would be a strike. On top of that, at least one teacher told his students that, if there was a strike, he would be sending a “work packet” home for them to complete during the strike. In addition, they lose because any plans they may have had for a summer (including summer jobs, to help them earn money for, among other things, college) have to be adjusted.

The parents: For those parents of young children that work, there will be an increased cost either through lost wages, or increased childcare costs. What about those parents that can’t afford the additional costs of childcare? Well–they can just stay home from work, right? So for a few, the choice is either pay for more childcare, or lose income. Additionally, parents may have had plans for summer “break.” Imagine a job where you have to request time off for vacation, and schedule it in advance. You know those jobs–the ones where you work 12 months a year?

The taxpayers: Regardless of the final outcome, it is guaranteed that taxpayers will be paying teachers more money to teach. This is a burden that taxpayers are willing to reasonably carry to provide a good education for the children in the community. I suspect though that taxpayers are keenly aware of what is reasonable, and what is unreasonable. It would seem to me at least that unreasonable is a teachers’ union that fails to negotiate. Of course, a “double whammy” exists for the parents, here. They have the burden of increased child-care costs, only to be rewarded with an (undoubtedly) increased tax burden.

One final thought: The teachers don’t “lose” anything here. There is no cost to them for striking. In most strikes, the unions have to balance the near-term lost wages with the long term gains. They must also consider the lost good-will with their customers who may well choose to go elsewhere with their shopping dollars. In this case, students are required, by law, to attend school. The teachers will come back and teach the remaining class days–and get paid for a full year (did I mention the “bonus check” due to retroactive pay?) The teachers essentially get to hold everyone (especially students) hostage–to achieve not a “fair” contract, but one that is “over the top.”

The Teachers Union. Unreasonable. Uncompromising. Unsupportable.

The avid listener and follower will know that he and I blog and podcast together over at “The Father Son Chats.”

Enjoy his video!

After that, we then move on to talk about Merlin Mann, and his photo with Dr Pepper.

Then–well, we talk about the NFL Films set-up starting one week ahead of time for the Super Bowl.

Then we end it where we started–with the YouTube video.

Enjoy our podcast!

The Prof

From the paper:

“Podcasting” has taken the technological and hobbyist worlds by storm, allowing for the creation of highly specialized audio (and now video) productions for delivery over the internet. This sort of capability has found its way into the classroom and into courseware, allowing professors to deliver a wide range of content to their students. (King, et al., 2006) This paper discusses the background of podcasting, the technology that enabled it, and how podcasting can be used to enhance supply chain courses with a “blended” or hybrid learning experience.

In addition to the podcast recording of the presentation, I am including the pdf of the paper, as well as the PowerPoint slides from the presentation.

Let me know what you think of it, and as always, leave comments, or send me a voice mail at the number listed in the contact section!

Additionally, he shares about “Something to be Desired,” the local video series provided online, at http://stbd.tv

You can find Justin, at his blog, Cafe Witness.

Take a few minutes and listen–it’s short!

We talk about Chris’ social media group, Grasshoppers that is there to answer the question “How can I be helpful?”

How can podcasting be useful for students, or educators? We talk about that as well.

Until today.

While perusing the latest musings of the iPhone Fanboys/girls, I came across this post. It provided the link that I had been waiting for! At nextup.com you can download “TextAloud,” a windows program that will not only read text files to you, but can also save them as either wav files or mp3 files. Just think–you can now take your articles with you and listen to them while doing those other routine parts of life that take so much time away.

I have already downloaded the demo version, and tested it out. I find it to be a rather quick conversion (but not instantaneous–hey, this is tough work!) and there are several options that allow the user to configure the playback in a way that fits how they would want to listen. For instance, you can configure the time for the program to pause between sentences, and paragraphs. You can select from two voices (male and female) in the demo version, and once purchased, have the option for other (apparently “better”) voices.

So how do I envision using this?

• Listen to academic articles during my long drives
• Provide audio versions of my own articles for students, available as podcasts
• convert quotes from documents for reference during my podcasts so listeners don’t have to listen to my voice

So, dear readers, how do you think YOU might use this?

Quoted from my Brother’s site:

Two Bradys, Two Brothers, Two Doctorates, and at least Two Views.

We discuss our different set ups, Windows for Steve (XP) and Mac OSX for Chris. I followed the directions found here.
More topics covered:

• Honda Civic Hybrid – See Steveâ€s blog entry and why Steve is now a Conservative environmentalist. (And what that means.)
• Why some want higher taxes on gas.
• Steveâ€s del.icio.us tags. Including “Cats kill birds, not windmills.“
• Environmental issues in general.
• iPhone (again).
• Coleâ€s Blog (”Who the Hell is He?” wanting internet transparency) and Being a Digital Native
• Rathole: Dadâ€s idea that our brains process in binary.

And we reached the end of GarageBandâ€s recording capacity.

So there you have it. Enjoy.

Oh–if you are a listener, please, write or comment and let us know. Obviously we talk, but it’s nice to know if we make a sound. (you know… tree… .forest… fall…)

We start with my theory that by offering multiple operating systems (Ubuntu Linux, Windows XP and Vista) Dell is working to position themselves to sell Apple’s OS-X.

Other things we talk about:

• Does Apple have a quality problem with their Mac Books?
• The Zoom H2 Microphone/Recorder is about ready to be released. according to Inside Home Recording
• The Hitachi Projectors PJTX100 available from B&H Photo
• We love buying audio equipment from BSW — Ask for Justin!
• We do recommend clicking through Scott Bourne’s blog for an online BSW Audio discount.
• TWIT’s tip off to the The Google Toolbar and Webhistory “stalker”
• Linda Ronstadt: You know she dated Jerry Brown right?
• Dvorak.org/blog’s discussions…
  • iPod cheating in school? But I have already written about this!
  • Jet Engine Farts
• Bed Time…

We talk about iPhone and various audio equipment “stuff.”

I decided to weigh in with this podcast, since I had recently heard two interviews with Dr Dawkins. The first was on Science Friday on NPR. In that interview he asserts that science has all but proven that God does not exist. The other interview was on one of my other favorite podcasts, The New Scientist. His views are a bit more muted in that interview, but that whole episode was dedicated to the battle between science and religion.

I have several excerpts in this podcast from both of those shows, and share my thoughts on how assumptions shape and shade research and the conclusions that one reaches. I do recommend that you go listen to the full shows, and perhaps even subscribe to the podcasts. They are quite good!

That said, let’s get my predictions out of the way.

Dems barely take the house with a shift of 15 seats. This will be touted as a mandate for change, but it should be remembered that in 1994 Clinton lost 54 seats in the house. This election won’t even come close to that.

I suspect that the Senate with remain in Republican hands, with a 51 to 49 split. I am encouraged by news from TN, MD and Ohio, but am afraid it may be all over for Santorum here in PA.

I hate to say it, but be sure to go check out the post election gloating over at PressingtheFlesh. I am curious though, if the Republicans pull this out, will he lose graciously, or will fleshy lead the charge that somehow the Republicans “stole” an election? (And if you listen to the podcast, keep in mind that my daughter, bless her heart, is a Republican…)

The Professor

First, let me say that apparently the Democrats weren’t too impressed either, because this plan doesn’t seem to have received much press-time. One would think that, if it was actually their plan for moving our nation forward, they would be advertising it a tad more.

In this podcast, I tackle the Democrats “plan for progress” which I find weak in it’s “planni-ness” (to steal from Colbert). It actually says that “We will protect Americans at home and lead the world by telling the truth to our troops, our
citizens and our allies.” Why do I single this one out here? Because it is the penultimate example of it not being a “plan” but rather rhetoric. Tell me… what steps follow the “truth telling” that will lead to a stable government in Iraq? What then will we do to bring the troops home, while ensuring that the US is no longer a target for terrorists? Will the radical islamists hear our “truth” and suddenly, in classis SNL style, say “Oh… never mind…” (Thanks Gilda–rest in peace!)

The bottom line conclusion that I reach is that it is all about the bottom line. When you read through what they have in their plan, they want to do many vague things, while at the same time “reducing the deficit.” Last time I checked, you can only increase spending, and decrease debt, by increasing revenue. And for the government, increasing revenue means raising your taxes, and raising them by more than they increase the spending.

Conclusion? Hang on to your wallets, you’re in for a bumpy ride.

Give a listen, and let me know what you think. Comment here, and perhaps we can even get some sort of debate going on. And be sure to give a read to ol’ Fleshy at the pressingtheflesh blog. It was his suggestion “Every time that someone states that Democrats “don’t have a plan,” mention these six points.” that had me actually checking out what sort of plan the Dems could come up with.

So if you want to hear my thoughts about these fans, go ahead and listen.  And don’t forget–there is a special place for Usher #257.

Thanks to my brother for this comic posted to his blog.  If you haven’t already visited him, go check out his blog at targuman.org/blog.

I hope you enjoy the podcast, and remember, you can always get this podcast through an iTunes subscription by going to The Podcast Link.

I would also recommend you visit some of the other site we talk about.

• twit.tv
• Revision3.com
• segway.com
• The Newton Source – The essential Newton Reference
• TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog
• Steve Kemper, author of “Code Named Ginger”

Let us know what you think, and how far YOU made it through the podcast before you quit.

I talk about a few of my favorite podcasts:

Several from http://twit.tv

• This week in Tech
• Inside the Net

And several others:

• The Diva Cast (http://thedivacast.com)
• NPR’s Science Friday
• New Scientist Podcast

I would recommend you explore the many podcasts available. Remember, you don’t have to have an iPod, or even iTunes, to listen to podcasts. You just need to have a computer or an MP3 player. go look at what is available at places like http://podcastalley.com, http://podshow.com or even in the iTunes store.

Let me make a couple things clear right up front. Foley did a “wrong thing.” I am in no way making an excuse for his behavior, or saying we should accept what he did. I am in my podcast simply pointing out that, when given the chance to take action against two congressman that had even more egregious behavior, a Democratically controlled Congress only slapped their wrists.

Anyway, listen to the podcast, and feel free to subscribe!