Monthly Archives: March 2012

Jennifer Pahlka: Coding a better government

Posted by & filed under Internet.

Description: Can government be run like the Internet, permissionless and open? Coder and activist Jennifer Pahlka believes it can — and that apps, built quickly and cheaply, are a powerful new way to connect citizens to their governments — and their neighbors. Source: Ted .com Date: March 25, 2012 Questions for discussion: 1.  Could government… Read more »

A Game Explodes and Changes Life Overnight at a Struggling Start-Up

Posted by & filed under Ecommerce, industry analysis, M-commerce, marketing, revenue model.

Description: At a cocktail party on the second floor of the expensive Bowery Hotel in Manhattan on Thursday night, as trays of stuffed mushrooms and thinly sliced filet mignon circulated, Charles Forman was marveling at how quickly things can change. Source: NYTimes .com Date: March 25, 2012 Draw Something transformed Omgpop from a little-known, nearly… Read more »

Khan Academy: The future of education?

Posted by & filed under education, industry analysis, online education, streaming video, Uncategorized.

Description: With the backing of Gates and Google, Khan Academy and its free online educational videos are moving into the classroom and across the world. Their goal: to revolutionize how we teach and learn. Source: CBS .com Date: March 21, 2012 Questions: 1  Is Khan Academy the online silver bullet for on-line education? 2. What… Read more »

Comics Are Now Selling Laughs by the Download

Posted by & filed under disintermediation, Ecommerce, industry analysis, marketing, revenue model, streaming video, telecomunications.

Description: Stand-up comedians of a certain era knew they had arrived when Johnny Carson invited them to a desk-side seat on “The Tonight Show.” A generation later, the gold standard was getting a solo comedy special on HBO. But in the Internet era, the yardstick for success has been redefined. Source: NYTimes .com Date: March… Read more »

IPad: The PC Killer

Posted by & filed under Apple, Hardware, iPad.

Description: In the fourth quarter of 2011, Apple sold 15.4 million iPads—more than the number of PCs sold by Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), the world’s No. 1 maker of Wintel PCs. Source: businessweek .com Date: March 21, 2012 Apple’s dominance of the tablet space certainly represents a blow to the collective egos of PC manufacturers. But the… Read more »

Why robot brains could be the killer app of cloud computing

Posted by & filed under Artificial intelligence, Cloud Computing, disruptive technology.

Description: Thanks to fast, always-on Internet connections and vast server farms run by the likes of Amazon and Google, we’re able to offload more and more of our digital lives onto remote servers. Source: GlobeandMail .com Date: March 22, 2012 A cloud robot requires far less computing power because it can offload most of that… Read more »

Solving the Pipeline Problem: How to Get More Women in Tech

Posted by & filed under education, exam2012A.

Description: It’s often said that women are under-represented in high-tech careers because they’re not studying computer science in school. And that’s true! Source: forbes .com Date: March 15, 2012 Angie Schiavoni didn’t know what computer science was as a kid. “Pursuing a career in computer science never crossed my mind,” she admits. “No one ever… Read more »

Social media bears witness in Syria

Posted by & filed under Blackberry, Cloud Computing, cyber war, exam2012A, social impacts, Social Media, streaming video.

Description: Two CNN assignment editors discuss how important the activist network is for us to cover the story in Syria. Source: cnn .com Date: March 15, 2012 Questions for discussion: Has social media been a positive force in what is going on in Syria?  Why? Or Why Not? Is there anyway in which the government… Read more »

Using Homeless as Hotspots for Wi-Fi

Posted by & filed under ethics, exam2012A, WI-Fi.

Description: Emma Cookson says her company believes the “homeless hotspots” idea allows them to make money and connect with others. Source: cnn .com Date: March 13, 2012 Questions for discussion: Do you feel that using homeless for hotspots is an appropriate thing to do?  Why? Or Why Not? What is the biggest downside of using… Read more »