education & tech

The human brain is arguably God’s greatest creation – it has the ability to continue growing in intelligence and sponging up knowledge for as long as you live. All you need are the catalysts called enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Though we are inundated with phrases, nuances, pronunciations and words from one or more languages from the time we’re born, there’s no doubt that if we up and moved to a different country where a totally new tongue is spoken, we’d learn the local lingo in just a couple of months.

Being a linguist offers various advantages – at work, you can interact with people from other cultures more freely, on vacation you can fit right in if you speak the language of the locals, and of course, generally speaking, you can show off your multiple tongues in the presence of the opposite sex.

The best way to pick up a new language is to be surrounded by people who speak only in that tongue at all times – desperation and a sense of survival force you to learn the lingo or be left out. But there’s no need to move to Rome in order to be able to speak fluent Italian, not with Second Life around. The virtual world has made headlines for various things, one of them being the ease with which foreign languages are taught and picked up by interested students.

The advantages to learning a new tongue on Second Life are many:

- The courses are more cost-effective than those offered in the real world. Some of them are even free of cost.
- There are instructional videos which teach you the right pronunciation and diction, things you would find hard to pick up from a book of phrases.
- Voice chat options allow you to correct your pronunciation.
- You can interact with other students and probably set up a study group so you can practice what you’ve learned using other members.
- And best of all, there are virtual cities that communicate entirely in foreign languages. So if you’re learning French, hang around a French community and practice what you’ve learned. It’s the next best thing to (and much more economical than) moving to France!

That Second Life has 5,000 language students and 1,000 instructors, numbers which are growing by the day, is itself a testimonial to how this application which began life as a virtual game, morphed into one of the best online, interactive educational tools of our time.

(*)Sarah Scrafford is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of Capella University review. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.

I am a old subscriber of this blog in Spanish and today the author came whith a interesting idea about Google. He's Jaime Roca and I had to translate his original post titled: Google. El El tamaño sí importa.

Reading Eduardo Collado, crossed my eyes his post in which he explains his decision to switch to Windows Live, when times come to "search". The truth is that Google is accumulating power at very high speed.

This growth and accumulation of power does not conform to the typical pattern of growth in a conventional market economy . To begin with, we are talking about an economy based on the attention, who gives the revenue to Google is not the one who uses the service. In a conventional market economy, there are some conventional natural limits to the accumulation of power, that comes from the market capture. The natural but well-known limit is the geographic distance. Another important natural limit is the relation price - spending power of that one who acquires the service. But ... as well as we cannot use the best restaurant if it is more than a reasonable distance, we can use the best finder, wherever it is, so the first limit is neutralized. Secondly, who uses the service, he does not need spending power, he acquires it because of its attention, that is becoming a change currency. When these limits do not exist, the rules that govern economic [un]balance, have changed. And in the new scenario, other risks, other fears fit and demands another criterion of regulation (or contemplation).

I think that in the short term, all this begins to be debate subject, but in the medium and long run, it's a very serious problerm, as the economy is getting divided. Alvin Toffler already warned in its Power Shift, that the new Capitalism, which is based more on knowledge possession than money possession, it was going to be (or could get to be) much more wild that the previous one.

But in the attention's economy, based on digital goods and services, occurs another characteristic: the capital possession, the intellectual capital - knowledge- by an economic agent, does not imply necessarily the dispossession by another agent. This, and the lessons that are come off the evolution of the models based on, for example, Microsoft on the one hand and in the Open Source on the other, I believe that they will light some clues on acting in the generation, management, possession and property of those huge repositorios of knowledge that are the search engines.

It is also possible that there is another problem - I guess - and is that all this requires an implemented legal frame from politics and, we already know that the politics are incapable to take the pulse (rationally speaking) in real time.

Glad you've reached this point.

Nobody was expecting Verizon's decision. It would allow customers to use any compatible device or software on its networks. The question is when American users will be able to start using Verizon networks? The announcement says it will be by the end of next year, users of such wireless products will be able to connect to its network using any device that meets the 'minimal technical standard', and they're compatible with its technology.

Analysts think this may be either a response to Google’s Android mobile operating system or an attempt to satisfy the FCC press for the upcoming 700 Mhz spectrum auctions(They want to be open). What will it be those devices then? This means pretty much any CDMA device or application, even those ones that are not officially offered by Verizon. It's not like you're going to walk into a Verizon store and see a bazaar of new products but it's a good sign that the glacier of mobile control is starting to melt!

What it really smacks Google plans is the vision of Pieter Knook, senior vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business saying " Microsoft is very excited to see Verizon Wireless make such a bold move to satisfy the demands of wireless consumers". Android must be paying attention, even iPhone designers because it looks like Verizon announcement is an early Christmas present for Microsoft. Timing will be super interesting to follow. Verizon's network should be opening up about the same time Android platform handsets become available, in late 2008. What are then , your predictions for the 2008? Is Scoble wrong?

Microsoft and Google are playing hard in order to catch users and customers. I didn't know for example until yesterday about Windows Live Translator, neither the last Google updates on Google Mobile Maps. Once again, what are your predictions about Mobile Media for the 2008?

And before I go, I want to congratulate Hackosphere for being back, surely many of us are anxious to know what you have to say. Welcome back!

May be that Sir Elton John has authority to express his own opinions but at some point he might have a point or users disagree with it. All this rant came from a column in The Sun Online and this post.

Instabloke follows the conversation and list of the blogosphere's benefits:

1) Anyone who can’t write can now publish a blog and pretend they can write.

2) Kids (and parents) can disconnect from natural communities and join virtual ones.

3) Gambling is now easier than ever.

4) Local merchants, workers and businessmen can become "disintermediated" by online multi-national corporations.

5) Now we can go to the coffee shop (how pathetic) and hunch over our laptops and not even know who is sitting next to us.

6) Eventually, our whole lives can become digitized. Hey, maybe quantity IS more important than quality and more data is better.

8) We now have more "information" than we even asked for... unfortunately, 99% of it is scam, spam, more marketing, "bait link" or just plain poor quality.

9) Perhaps we will all like the "Singularity." By the

10) Oh, yes.. the "paperless office." Funny, though, our offices now consume several times the amount of paper they used to.

11) Soon blog content will be computer generated, if some of it isn’t already.

12) Luddites will have to master internet technology in order to destroy it.

Now, please tell me everything said in here is wrong and I'll quit blogging right in the spot!

The study was performed by Ball State University's Center for Media Design and a compendium of those results are published in CNET -News.

They "...tracked the media use of 350 people every 15 seconds. The subjects represented each gender, about equally, across three age groups: 18 to 34, 35 to 49 and 50-plus. The people were monitored by another person for approximately 13 hours, or 80 percent of their waking day."

Will internet kill newspapers?

I was looking through my popurls and I've founded quite interesting to follow the conversation about what's ging on with Rebekka's case. It seems Flickr had removed on of her pics because her complains about that money other company is making with her very own pictures. She posted her frustration on her flickrstream and they decided is remove her image from their site. Saying: Flickr is not a venue for to you harass, abuse, impersonate, or intimidate others. If we receive a valid complaint about your conduct, we will send you a warning or
terminate your account.

I do respect what Flickr does but this kind of attitude affects the commmunity they have grown. Please, allow more days to see what happens with this matter and if you like to support this cause your blog post are very welcome.

Update: Profy has its own version. Go read it.

Thanks to GVO it just came to our knowledge a project, which is headed by the mexican Ricardo Carreon. He's trying to group throughtout a Blogroll at least a number of thirty blogs written by Latin Americans, your blog should cover Latin American issues and for any reason you think are qualified, please go to this post, drop a comment which among other things require: Name of Blog, URL, Brief description and why are you interested in join in?

There is a lot of buzz about Edwars candidacy for running next american elections, some people are starting to think of him as the new JFK?

No news. However it seems like PayPay hits hard in the ecommerce after their venturous Virtual Card. If you still want to give it a try, it's all about you but do not forget the issues generated with this popular online paysite!

Finally, Google Blog Search for the very first time goes over the normal traffic gotten for Technorati and Sphere, separately.

Carl Sagan fue quien me inspiró en mi primera juventud a la búsqueda, la lectura y la imaginación; cuando ni siquiera soniaba con venir a los EE.UU y lo poco que caía a mis manos de sus escritos los devoraba como si se tratase de golosinas para el espíritu. Carlos García está invitando a todos quienes hayan tenido contacto con el proyecto SET o les haya gustado Cosmos, dos de sus obras magistarles; ha escribir un post en sus blogs como una manera de rendir homenaje a tan grande divulgador científico. Nos unimos a la idea y les recordamos que su muerte ocurrió el 20 de Diciembre!

Citando un artículo de Wired, Enrique Edans dice que no necesitamos realmente Windows Vista, que para quienes gustan lo nuevo, deben esperarse al menos un anio o dos para solventar el problema de la pérdida de algunos periféricos y la incompatibilidad con software clásico. No se apure, que en eso Bruce Gain tiene mucha razón. Acaso se ha olvidado lo que pasó con el XP?

En un post anterior nuestro dilecto Avatar (aunque todavía no ha contestado su Invox: Por qué Avatar?) nos coregía el dato del número de servicio hosting para videos. Hoy vamos a agregar uno mas: Viddler. Lea la presentación de Vanesa.

Update: Otros blogs en lengua hispana uniéndose al homenaje a Carl Sagan.
Update 1: El seguimiento oficial de la celebración está en Celebrating Sagan.

Global Voces Online nos muestra una muestra sumaria de lo que acontece en la blogósfera argentina. Por nuestra parte tambien pescamos un blog interesante y que contiene algunos templates para blogger, el es dEEPARK'S. Cuando vaya por su blog dele nuestro respetuoso saludo.

Todavía no tiene todos sus regalos de Navidad. Si vive en una sociedad de cosumo como la norteamericana, entonces es casi segurio que usted haya comprado o se encuetre desesperadamente tratando de encontrar el regalo ideal para cualesquiera de sus personas queridas. No se quiebre la cabeza y trate de ayudarse en This Next.

Para quienes tienen la suerte de navegar el internet saben y conocen que hoy por hoy aunque la información esté heterogeneamente diseminada, aquí se puede obtener toda clase de información, atrás ha quedado los periódicos y los libros subsisten no como fuente de negocios (para el autor nunca lo fueron) sino como medio de intrucción y su costo realmente es elevado, diga usted elevado para medios donde el per cápita es significativo; ahora qué decir de los paises donde los estudiantes están negados de tener acceso a tan valuables textos.

Gracias a las nuevas tecnologias y a los nuevos conceptos el Prof. Richard Watson se encuentra promoviendo lo que sería tentativamente la solución para aquél problema: Global Text Project

Los celulares son una moda mas que un servicio en sí mismo, al menos en Japon, Europa y los EE.UU. Pero sabía usted que en tierra del Tio Sam, donde se pregona la palabra "freedom" los consumidores, por cuestiones de seguridad nacional (ja! cuando acabarán con ese cuento) no pueden informarce de cuáles son las companias con mejor rendimiento. Es para proteger las corporaciones y los neo-cons en palabras de Greg Palast.

Es una excelente iniciativa de Webtoolscollection, pero en idioma inglés. Puede que el futuro veamos algo parecido en la blogósfera hispanos, considerando que existen bloggeros para quienes escribir se ha convertido en un acto de electrifying text.

Desde nuestro blog un saludo cordial y fraterno para los ecuatorianos nacidos en la capital, hoy es seis de diciembre y los quitenios están de fiesta. Viva el 6 de Diciembre!.

Fabio Cavassini nos muestra la forma mas simple y sencilla de poner un slideshow en su blog con solo reemplazar el código de usuario. El procedimiento es original de Paul Stamatiou y su ID es fácil encontralo haciendo click aquí. Ya lo verán muy pronto implementado en bple en su parte inferior (Up and running right now!).

Solía tener un wishlist. Todavía lo tengo, pero no apunta desde el blog. Estoy esperando que Papa Noel, Santa o el Ninio Dios se acuerde de nosotros y nos permita al menos disfrutar de una sola cosa de ésta lista de posibles regalos de Navidad. Alguna alma caritativa. :)

Casi una semana hace que escribieron un post haciendo referencia al padrinazgo adoptivo del que soy objeto por parte de nuestra dilecta Chica Regia. Ese mismo post en el que se habla de una gran familia bloggera y que no hace referencia a las companias que se han creado para el socialnetworking, ni tampoco menciona a proyectos incondicionales y serios sino a sus mas cercanos admirados y admiradores. Nuestra enhorabuena y un abrazo de Acción de Gracias para Grecia.

Y precisamente hablando de Acción de Gracias, se acerca lo que en U.S. se conoce como Black Friday porque los almacenes grandes sobretodo con el fin de atraer compradores escogen unos cuantos productos y los bajan totalmente de precio. Eso hace que los lectores que me siguen desde el mismo pais de los Pilgrims estén interesados en conseguir sus descuentos pero no sin antes recordar y tratar de salir del consumismo en el los duenios de capital americano nos tienen encerrados; siguiendo las recomendaciones que en un gran libro existen, es The Laws of Simplicity y que precisamente se refiere a la marania de la tecnologia y los gadgets que en ocasiones en vez de hacernos la vida más fácil, nos la complica con situaciones y procedimientos innecesarios.

El libro es de Jonh Maeda, un estudioso del asunto y quien científicamente está en capacidad de recomendarnos, si es el caso que quiera invertir (gastar) unos dólares en éste Thanksgiving:

1. Administer the single-breath test: Si el vendedor no le puede explicar cómo se usa un gadget determinado de una sola (single-breath) entonces significa que el aparatito es muy complicado. Mejor váyase y ahorre el dinero.
2. Buy only what you need: Hace mención al "nunca vaya a la tienda sin su lista". Asegúrese de lo que necesita y vaya a la tienda, pida lo que se ajuste a su lista y no más. No será lo que esté de moda pero es lo que usted necesita!
3. Look for great design: Cualesquier pieza de tecnologia le dará un dolor de cabeza cada vez en cuando. Así que compre uno que al menos se vea bonito y entonces se podrá perdonar usted mismo del dinero que pagó cuando empiece a fallar.
4. Count your steps: Suponga que busca algo específico, digamos una cámara digital. Cuando la compre, cuente el número de pasos que requiere para su funcionamiento. Si en una el proceso de fotografiar le toma dos pasos y en la otra son cinco, si para disparar la una demora dos segundos y la otra 38, entonces usted ya sabe cuál elegir.
5. Go with what you know: Cuando usas determinada marca, ya estas acostumbrado a los problemas típicos de esa compania. Tratar y probar no es malo y a veces es hasta exitante pero la probabilidad de que termines arrepintiéndote es muy alta. Mejor gringa conocida que diosa con sida!!

La experiencia relatada en este post nos muestra a un Google no tan endiosado como se presiente, con entrevistas en un subterráneo y pizza para atraer a los ambrientos, necesitados de trabajo y de mostrar que trabajan para Google. No buscan nerds en EE.UU si no demuestran al menos tener un PhD, buscan extranjeros para trabajos de menor envergadura no por nada concurrieron a la entrevista un 80% de extranjeros entre ellos estudiantes de la zona. Vaya que interesante forma de reclutar gente de parte de Google, muchas gracias Pato Castro por dejar enterarnos de estas privacidades.

La Revista TIME, tiene un Mapa Multimedia para dejarnos saber el estado demográfico de los EE.UU y nos deja apreciar gráficamente las concentraciones poblacionales en América. Muy bonito el mapa y ojalá no lo muevan por cuestiones de 'seguridad nacional'.

Un herramienta que agrega Google son las alertas pero para nuestros blogs. Qué significa eso? Significa que podemos rastrear específicamente información pertinente, información relativa al tema como lo un investigador con Zotero. O como lo haría cualesquiera que gusta de las letras y goza de escribir como una forma de entretenimiento y de incrementar un tanto mas sus habilidades.

El tema siguiente se sale un poco de mis habitualidades y tiene que ver con el consumismo (muy arraigado en América). Antes de gastar su dinero por favor asegúrese de revisar al menos dos reportes de los que se hayan publicado respecto al producto que le interese, sobretodo cuando estamos próximos al Thanksgiving y las navidades. Dos sitios de consulta obligada son: Review de C|Net y Newmatica.

Con esta linea me despido por hoy. Tiene un iPod o le gusta usarlo o tiene un hijo/a con este artefacto, bueno coménteles que ahora pueden ver los videos de YouTube directamente en ese su iPod. Buen dia a todos!