Day: October 3, 2010

A Few Google Flaws

Posted on By Tom No Comments on A Few Google Flaws
EdTech, General Technology, Internet

The past several posts I’ve been singing the praises of Google. However, all is not perfect in Google Land. There have been the occasional really bad ideas – Google Wave, for example – and the abandonment of some really good ideas, such as Google Notebook. In this post I’m going to stay away from the more published flaws that Google has had to endure. Instead, I’ll cover just a few things that I’ve found to be a bother.

I’ve already mentioned that until only recently, group accounts could not be used for Google Maps, Picasa, or other many other Google products.  That really limited the effectiveness of those accounts.  Fortunately, that has been corrected.  However, there are still a few things that are not quite right.

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Audioboo and SoundCloud – New Audio Hosting Options

Posted on By Tom 4 Comments on Audioboo and SoundCloud – New Audio Hosting Options
EdTech, Internet

wp_Audio_Wall_1280x800

A couple of years ago I lamented about the lack of good resources for sharing audio clips. What I was after was sort of a YouTube for audio. Video sharing sites were becoming relatively common, but audio was another matter. At that time I created a wish list for online audio sharing.  I had suggested some possibilities for audio sharing, but none came close to my wish list.  In fact, most of the hosting sites I mentioned are long gone.

Now there are a couple of new options to fill the bill.  SoundCloud (http://www.soundcloud.com) and Audioboo (http://audioboo.fm) both offer audio file hosting. While very similar, they each have slightly different approaches to how music is shared on their sites.

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Google Docs Rundown

Posted on By Tom 1 Comment on Google Docs Rundown
EdTech, General Technology, Internet

google-docs-vs-microsoft-office-white

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m encouraging our teachers to use Google Docs with their classrooms through our new Spart5.info domain.  Our district, like most in the state, has standardized on Microsoft Office.  We have no intention of changing our basic productivity platform.  I think of Google Docs as a complement to, rather than competitor to Microsoft Office.

Personal Use

I’ve been using Google Docs personally for a couple of years now.   The convenience of cloud computing was just becoming apparent, and I liked the idea of having my work available on any computer I happened to use, as long as it was online.  I first tried it in earnest with an online course I was taking for recertification.  It just seemed like a good place to keep everything together.

I’m using Google Docs more and more now, but most often I use it for documents that I need to find quickly – reference documents such as my resume, circuit ID numbers, etc.  I also use it for keeping notes at various meetings because it’s so easy to share the notes.

I’ve got a little Dell netbook that I use all the time (I’m using it to type this right now.)  Unfortunately, it’s a first-generation netbook with limited processing power and only a 16 GB solid state hard drive.  I just don’t have room for MS-Office, so I rely on Google Docs and the ability to be online just about anywhere.

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