Google Voice definitely underutilized

After reading a lot about 1:1 iPad programs and there being an "app for" everything in education, I found How To Use Google Voice In Education to be refreshing. Many schools use Google Apps for Education, but I haven't read many educator accounts of using Google Voice.Google Voice wasn't around when I was a teacher,… Continue reading Google Voice definitely underutilized

The Power of Defaults

I tend to see two extremes whenever there are arguments about what should be the default (I’m speaking specifically of arguments on the Ubuntu Forums, but this could be applied to really anything in technology or anything in life in general). One extreme is that defaults don’t matter at all. It’s not worth arguing about.… Continue reading The Power of Defaults

Why fill-in-the-gadget-killers don’t actually kill

Every now and then in the tech news I see a new product announced as the fill-in-the-blank-killer. The most commonly touted is the supposed iPod-killer, though I’ve also seen supposed Macbook Air-killers, supposed Eee-killers, and supposed Google-killers. The idea that some new product on the horizon is going to metaphorically “kill” some well-established industry-dominant product… Continue reading Why fill-in-the-gadget-killers don’t actually kill

Freedom for the short-term or the long-term?

As a Ubuntu Forums veteran, I’ve seen many disgruntled potential migrants return to Windows from Ubuntu because they wanted things to “just work.” They would say things like “I don’t really care about software freedom. I just want to be able to play video files and do what I need to do. The computer is… Continue reading Freedom for the short-term or the long-term?

Giving OpenDNS a try

With stories in the tech news about a recently discovered DNS flaw that allows malicious parties to redirect even properly-typed-in URLs to spoof sites’ IP addresses, I got curious about this OpenDNS I keep hearing about. Supposedly it’s faster and also blocks phishing sites, has patched the DNS flaw, has 100% uptime, and allows configuration… Continue reading Giving OpenDNS a try

Technology ideas I thought were stupid… until I tried them

I have consumer’s arrogance. I’ll admit it. While innovators, inventors, businesspeople, and artists are busy working to make money (and art, too, if they’re lucky), I’m comfortably sitting back, relaxing, and critiquing them from my little soapbox of a blog. It’s easy once something has tanked to balk at it, “What were they thinking?” Sometimes… Continue reading Technology ideas I thought were stupid… until I tried them