Here’s a summary of some of the things I learned and published this week.
Readings
(You can follow my daily readings as they happen here. Here are a selected few from the past week.)
- Big numbers are always impressive and so this story about the number of Gmail users is interesting reading. And yet, what’s most important is that your email is available the moment you need it, right? Gmail is impressive on both counts.
- I sold poppies as a Wolf Cub and then as a Boy Scout. I wear a poppy every year. I buy many poppies every year! I haven’t found a perfect solution yet. Digital perhaps?
- Lest you get trapped in using just one search engine, here’s a comparison of three – Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo.
- I don’t ever recall doing this as a child but I might well have, if you follow the logic in the story. It’s a skill that I absolutely wish I could use now. I’d share a picture of my desk but it would be downright embarrassing.
- Moving your iTunes library to a Chromebook might sound like a good idea until you consider how much room you’re going to need.
- Travellers beware. You could get your information stolen at these US airports. Detroit Metro made the list but was nowhere near the top.
- I’d really enjoy taking a train with these specs from Windsor to Toronto. All the good stuff and no construction.
- I’m surprised that there hasn’t been a class action lawsuit over not making this the default. I remember my first smartphone had an FM tuner but I haven’t had once since.
- Do you really need more than Google Docs for a text editor if you’re using a Chromebook? If you do, here are options.
- Have you ever wondered what all of those ports on your computer are used for? Here’s a nice summary. Another wonder – can we get a refund on the ones that we don’t use?
- A preview of To the Orcas with Love, which will be premiered at the Bring IT, Together Conference this week.
- I like Dropbox. Very few people in my circles use it though. Now added, a timeline feature.
- These are very powerful words in education indeed. When was the last time you heard or used them?
Blog Posts on doug … off the record
- Sunday – My Week Ending October 28, 2018
- Monday – What’s new?
- Tuesday – Maps, oh my!
- Wednesday – A Hallowe’en Playlist
- Thursday – About self-promotion
- Friday – This Week in Ontario Edublogs, Number 331
- Saturday – Answering the AI challenge
- Sunday – Whatever happened to … party lines?
Blog Post on ecoo.org
BRING IT, TOGETHER 2018 – The complete schedule is now live. Have you registered? It’s also a reminder of the “Bring IT, Together” concept. Why not bring a group from your school?
voicEd Radio
My on demand radio page can be found here. The latest edition features blog posts from:
Technology Trouble Shooting
It’s a silly thing, I know. But, I have a daughter who knows all about ergonomics and so I do pay attention to her.
The smartphone is part of my life, I admit. Even when I’m working at my computer like I am now, I like to see incoming notifications on the phone.
The problem is that it typically is laid flat on my desk and I’m not.
I was cleaning out a bookshelf the other day and found something from my university years. It’s called a CalConverter. I’d take a picture of it but it’s not terribly clean. There’s some sort of green stuff that had dripped onto the top of it and I’m gradually cleaning it by soaking.
But, the idea behind this was to place your calculator (remember those?) on the stand so that you can use the calculator is an ergonometric way. There are rubber feet on the bottom to keep it from sliding and it’s adjustable for the best viewing angle.
And, it works great. It’s off to the side with my television remote, box of Kleenex, cough candies, a CD-ROM, …
If you read above, I’ve already confessed to being messy.
Video of the Week
My post about telephones from this morning brought back memories of this song. I hadn’t heard it in years.
My Favourite Photo of the Week
One of the joys of living near the Detroit River is to watch the boats and ships on it. Here, during an evening dog walk is a big ship headed north. I actually had to stop and wait for it to pass a bit so that I could get it all into the picture. It was huge!
Thanks for reading.
dp
doug -- off the record 
Please share your thoughts here. I’d enjoy reading them.