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I grew up with television as my window on the world. Now its the web. An example of the marvellous world of convergence is TED Talks - mini tv programmes, interesting topics, fascinating people - on the web, on tap and viewable when and where I want them.

I recently dropped into TED Talks to catch up on the status of the big and bold One Laptop Per Child project - two years on - with Nicholas Negroponte giving the update - you can view the video here.

I’m a convert to the iPhone having acquired one from eBay 6 months ago.   It’s the aesthetics of the device that won me over - good design is just so compelling and “must have”.   So I - along with the rest of the global fraternity of iPhone followers - now await with enthusiasm the distribution of the new 3G version, as discussed in this CNET  report.  Yum.

It is ironic, perhaps, that it is  the ‘happening right now’ sites that can lead to some of my most serious lost in time experiences when online.  Mysterious gaps can appear in my day if I drop in on Twittervision and watch the world fly back and forth to reveal the latest ‘what I had for breakfast’ type comments from people in faraway places.   And time seems to stand still as I await the  latest contribution to the modern day version of ‘photos from my holiday’ - as shared by the cyber-fuelled tourists of Flickrvision.

It definitely isn’t the content that holds my attention - it is the fascination of seeing the power of a web-enabled and connected world demonstrated in real time by these sites.

It is a little ironic, maybe, that it’s the “what’s happening right now’ services of the web are the ones that

The latest ICT in Schools Report is now available and online.

This authoritative 2007 report - the latest in a continuum of reports over the years - presents the latest picture of ICT in our schools. It includes, for example, findings that indicate that, in our schools today, there is likely to be one computer for every four primary school students and one computer per three students in secondary schools.

This research project was implemented by the New Zealand 2020 Communications Trust whose ongoing mission is … “to help ALL New Zealanders benefit from the opportunities of the new digital era - especially from the internet…”.

A topic that’s been bubbling up to the surface in the e-emedia world recently has been the cost of bottled water - not only in terms of the $2.00+ we’re willing to pay for it, but also its eco cost. This National Geographic site provides some interesting perspectives.

Having already confessed to being a gadgeteer, I share unashamedly my latest gadget discovery on the web - Smart Goggles.

This simple and brilliant idea could address the despair we feel when we plaintively call out to an uncaring universe - “where’s my phone”, “where are my keys”, “where’s my bag” We all know how that feels. The opportunities for using Smart Goggles in a learning context are very interesting too.

Here’s a quick extract from the UK’s Daily Mail.

Daily Mail article:

The Smart Goggles are the brainchild of Prof Kuniyoshi at the University of Tokyo. He believes they could revolutionise the lives of people who suffer from regular “senior moments”, as well as those suffering from serious memory problems caused by dementia.The Smart Goggles contain a compact video camera which films everything the wearer looks at - and a viewfinder which fits snugly in front of the right lens. The glasses are connected to a small, but smart computer processor worn on the back which can learn to recognise shapes extremely quickly.

To use the glasses, the wearer first wanders around a house or workplace for an hour or so, looking at the objects he or she may later want to find in a hurry. Each time the camera focuses on a object - such as a set of keys, a mobile phone or a purse - the wearer says the name aloud. The name is then recorded and stored into the memory.

Once the names have been programmed in, the glasses will try to find the right name for any object they come across. The names appear in small type on the viewfinder. If they are unable to recognise an object they make a guess and - if they get it wrong - learn from their mistakes. At some point in the future, if the wearer is trying to find their keys in a hurry, they simply name the object.

The glasses search its video memory and show its last known location on the display.

More …

Much to the delight of gadgeteers everywhere (of which I confess I’m one), the iPhone folks have just released an SDK (software development kit).

This means that thousands of people around the globe are, right now, busily finding new things to do with what has become the mobile icon of the new century. Expect to see some developments that are focused on the needs and interests of learning audiences soon.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/

The buzz of the last 2 years about Second Life is starting to recede, but it still remains a phenomenon within which thousands interact every day. Here’s how a group of educators are exploring it.

ISI - The International Schools Island

Open 5th Feb 2008

Documenting the building of an Island (& community) in Second Life, started on 9 Sept 2007 designed to support educators worldwide (with an emphasis on S.E. Asia)

http://internationalschoolsisland.blogspot.com/

The capital city has been a fantastic place to be recently if you’re in the digital media space.

Over the last few weeks Wellington has hosted the launch of Creative Commons Aotearoa, a series of Digital Content Strategy workshops, and the AnimFxNZ07 symposium.

AnimFxNZ was a great experience, bringing together subject experts and industry representatives from around the world. Featured speakers included Dreamworks Animation Director Tim Johnson, Star Trek Visual FX Supervisor Dan Curry, and Executive Creative Director of BBC Children’s CBeebies Michael Carrington.

Tim Johnson opened the event with an enchanting presentation which made the point that the classic structure of a good story hasnt changed since Aristotle first defined it, while Michael Carrington made the gathering envious with his presentation about the range of work the Childrens’ Department of the BBC is doing in the fields of broadcasting, online and immersive worlds.

After a slight delay in our blogs, we’re back, and the theme for 2007 is “what’s just changed?”.

The online world is a remarkable place in which to work. Every day there is a next big thing headline jumping out of one of the many newsfeeds that head into my desk at CWA. Whether a truly remarkable breakthrough or not, each time a new arrival appears in the matrix of choices, something has just changed, and we try to take a moment to contemplate exactly what that is.
So, what’s just changed things recently?

The most obvious recent WJC? moment has to go to the iPhone. It’s having a genuine impact on the status quo and is shaking up the thinking in the mobile world. Whether driven by its *bling* look and feel , or its cool on-screen interface, or the new buzz it’s creating when thinking about mobile communications, or its infuriating remoteness from these shores, we know we *want one* and that it has changed something. Time will tell exactly what

iphone: www.apple.com