EdTech Situation Room by Jason Neiffer and Wes Fryer

Welcome to episode 152 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 23, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the demise of Nest smart thermostat installations by contractors following Google's acquisition, the Pixel 4 smartphone, Google fees for GMail storage, and Google's new "digital wellbeing" experimental apps. Enhanced genetic editing via CRISPR Prime / Primate Editing, the retirement of 8 inch floppy disks from the U.S. Air Force's nuclear arsenal control systems, the importance of home router firmware updates, credit card skimming software deployed on over 18,000 websites, and the poor password habits of Equifax network administrators were also highlighted. Meme culture and the PSAT, and the potentially contentious copyright bill just passed by the U.S. House of Representatives were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included the video "Scams That Should be Illegal" by @theodd1sout, the lesson "Don't Get Tricked Online" by Wes, the free Google Home Mini for Spotify Premium Users offer, and Jason's relative's kickstarter campaign for Cardshark! Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 151 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 16, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on a birthday special assignment, so returning guest Carl Hooker (@mrhooker) joined Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) to discuss the past week's technology news through an educational lens. Topics included disinformation in the Turkish/Kurd conflict in Syria, "deep fake" videos, surveillance and privacy in our connected age, and the shifting rationale for government encryption advocates. Wellness and "digital minimalism," a hacked Interstate billboard showing pornography, John Oliver's debt forgiveness program, the T-Mobile and Sprint merger, and the underwhelming announcements from this week's Google Event were topics rounding out the show. Carl's Geeks of the Week were Learn with League (League of Legends eSports Expansion) and the Nebula Capsule Projector (great for a multiscreen classroom experience.) Wes' Geeks of the Week were YellKey (time limited real word link shortener) and TinEye (reverse image search.) Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 150 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 2, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed newly announced hardware from this week's Microsoft event, security concerns over the latest way to add Google Apps to Huawei smartphones, and the implications of a recent New York Times expose of the horrific proliferation of images of sexual abuse of children online. Exciting and important announcements from Google focusing on protecting your privacy online, managing your passwords, and checking existing passwords saved with Google against a database of known breaches / compromised were also highlighted. Additional article topics included newly announced efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to crack down on White Supremacists, Andrew Yang's policy platform announcement on protecting digital data as personal property, and the media literacy education importance of imagery shared online of China's 70 year birthday of the Communist Party with increased street violence in consecutive week 17 of youth led protests in Hong Kong. Newly announced jailbreak exploits to older versions of iOS / the iPhone operating system were also discussed, along with the perils of jailbreaking / rooting your smartphone. Geeks of the week included a superb post by Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne) about digital storytelling tools for students, Auto Update Expiration (AUE) dates for ChromeOS / Chromebooks, and an excellent article explaining the difference between Chromium and ChromiumOS. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 149 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 25, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed new Alexa / smart assistant powered product announcements from Amazon, including lots of new smart speakers, a ring for your finger and smart glasses for your nose. Media Literacy news and articles included "Deep Fakes and Cheap Fakes," a new report from Data and Society, Ukraine-based Facebook disinformation and propaganda campaigns, and a reminder about the SIFT (the four moves) media literacy framework from Mike Caulfield (@holden) and the Digital Polarization Project. iOS 13.1 updates, amazing reports of the camera quality of the iPhone 11 Pro, the 11th birthday of Android, and update news from Google on ChromeOS and Pixelbooks were also highlighted. A warning about newly discovered Android phone app security vulnerabilities, Instagram's efforts to empower the victims of bullying with new app features, a new screentime report finding no correlation for teens to academic performance, and an interesting geoengineering article about weather modification via technology tools ("hail cannons") rounded out this week's show. Geeks of the Week included a good CNET article on home WiFi router basics, good for anyone looking to upgrade soon, and the free "Image Size" iOS app. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 148 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 11, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Jason's favorite smartphone weather app (Dark Sky,) the wide range of pricing available now for iPhones from Apple, whether the telephoto lens on the new iPhone 11 Pro justifies the cost, expected announcements from Google about new Pixel smartphones, and announced arcade game support on AppleTV for 3rd party controllers. An identified LastPass password manager identified security vulnerability, an update from the cell phone robocall wars, and the hoopla as well as social-media inspired responses to the podcasting app and platform PocketCasts announcing updates with a paid tier subscription. Resources from the recent podcasting conference in Oklahoma City, the incredible revenue of Chinese podcasts (which are entirely subscription-based), the (likely) predictable demise of MoviePass, and the story of a Macedonian hacker takeover of a pro-Trump Veteran focused Facebook page rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included screencasting tools Loom, SnagIt, and Screencastify. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 147 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 11, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's announcements at their September 10th event, reasons to never trust a free VPN, the option to report spam in Google Calendar, cyberattack woes in Flagstaff, Arizona schools, and a reminder of why people are still the number one attack vector for cybercriminals. The attempt by Saudi Arabia to improve their global image by utilizing social media influencers, the prospect of using the inexpensive Raspberry Pi 4 as a desktop computer replacement, and the basics of the new USB 4 standard were also discussed. The transformation of China's tech sector from copycats into innovators was explored, along with "Geeks of the Week" including the Bon Appétit channel on YouTube, and WordCloud generators Word It Out and Voyant Tools. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 146 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 4, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the release of Android 10, Carl Hooker's (@mrhooker) recent Twitter conversation and blog post on why banning smartphones in the classroom is a bad idea, and lessons we should all learn about security following the hack of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's account. Imposter sellers and FCC-illegal cell phone signal boosters on Amazon, Apple's forthcoming September 10th event with rumors of a new iPhone, and the "deep fake" Zao iOS app craze in China were also highlighted. Microsoft's October 2 Surface event and more warnings for Windows10 updates were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the week included the amazing app "Genius Scan" for both Android and iOS, Wes' free Flipboard magazine "iReading," and Wonder Links shared on Wes' new curriculum and lesson website for school. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 145 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 28, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed lengthening consumer smartphone replacement purchase patterns, Android's switch to more boring OS names, and laments from teachers about "students these days not reading anymore." The different ways music is used to shape political perceptions in the United States and India / Kashmir, China's use of LinkedIn for spy recruitment, advocacy for continued permissiveness by YouTube for uploaded content, and emerging social credit systems in both China and Silicon Valley were also highlighted. The implications of Tumblr's recent purchase by Automattic, Dell's release of enterprise quality Chromebooks, cyberattacks in Denver, and the purchase of LittleBits by Sphero rounded out the week's discussed articles. Geeks of the week included Microsoft's new app "Your Phone" and the podcast "Your Undivided Attention" episode, "With Great Power Comes…No Responsibility?" Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com and Restream.io . Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 144 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 14, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Congressional interest in addressing the "digital divide" in the U.S. between rural and urban areas, a "sign of the times" story of a teen resorting to the use of IoT devices (including the family refrigerator) to contact friends and followers via Twitter, and the radicalizing influence of YouTube in Brazilian politics. Apple's MacOS changes warning users of dire consequences if a 3rd party battery is installed in a laptop, falling iPhone sales, and the implications of Apple's slow transition to services from hardware sales for profits and the education sector were also highlighted. The availability of "Course Kit" for the assignment functions using Google Drive files in LMS platforms like Moodle, the role (and attempted prevented role) of telecommunication services in ongoing civil unrest in both Hong Kong and Kashmir, and the emergence of Harmony OS from Huawei to potentially replace "regular" AndroidOS on Chinese phones were topics rounding on the show. Geeks of the week included AlgoTransparency (a tool providing a window into how YouTube's video recommendation engine / algorithm works) and an update on CloudReadyHome Addition. This episode was our second show to use StreamYard.com as well as Restream.io to both live stream and archive our show simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 143 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 31, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s proposed "SMART Act" (the Social Media Addiction Reduction Technology Act), the state of adblocking online in mid-2019, and amazing developments in the world of eSports with a recent Fortnight payout of over $30 million for a single tournament. Apple's quarterly announcements including its continued transition to services for revenue, the implications of those trends for Apple portable hardware in schools, and ChromeOS updates including facial recognition "face unlock" as well as continued changes to default Flash support were also highlighted. Additional headlines analyzed during the show included FaceApp's terms of service and privacy implications for users, the FTC's class action lawsuit settlement against Equifax, Google's banning of certain DIY advertisements for iFixIt, continued calls for smartphone backdoor encryption by the US Department of Justice, and an incredible "classified artificial brain" project underway by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in the United States. Geeks of the Week included the "Unreal Mobile" smartphone service, the new website ""Hack the Moon," and the podcast "Your Undivided Attention." With the impending demise of "Google Hangouts on Air" for YouTube Live, this was our first show to use ScreenYard.com as well as Restream.io to both live stream and archive our show simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 142 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 24, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed why data privacy is complicated, the FTC's $5 billion fine of Facebook, the limitations of SMS for 2 factor authentication (2FA) / multi-factor authentication (MFA), and exciting recent Apollo 11 50 year anniversary moon landing media coverage. Updates to Google's smartwatch software (WearOS) as well as ChromeOS, Apple's expected announcement of its new $3000 MacBook portable, the return of MDM-powered parental control apps like MyPact to the iOS App Store, and Apple's pleas to avoid 25% tariffs on Chinese manufactured electronic components were also highlighted. The increasingly fractured landscape of podcasting (sadly coming to a walled garden paid app near you,) the prospect of "Peak Podcast" time, and Jason's recent experiences with the wild world of urban electric scooters (where "the repo man" now thrives) were discussed with a remarkable tone of clarity laced with humor. Geeks of the Week included the DarkNet Diaries podcast (@darknetdiaries) and the "Timeline" tool from the Knight Foundation. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 141 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 17, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the forthcoming commercial release of Boston Robotics' "Spot" robot, Jony Ive's announced departure from Apple, updates to the Apple portable laptops, and Amazon's policy to basically keep user audio recordings from Alexa forever. Privacy concerns over the new FaceApp smartphone app, kids bullied into spending money in Fortnite, a Citizen's Guide to Fake News, and the power of social media influencers were also explored. Additional topics included the possible return of Google Glass to help autistic children, YouTube educational playlists without recommended videos, and 'the toxic potential of YouTube's feedback loop.' Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 140 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 26, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed options for live webinars like ours when YouTube's "Hangouts on Air" goes away later this year, exciting updates to ChromeOS, Google's addition of media literacy lessons to its free digital citizenship curriculum, and the theoretical cost of an advertisement-free Internet. Additional topics included privacy protecting web browser options, Bill Gates regrets concerning Microsoft's mobile phone operating system, journalism lobbyists pandering Congress for protective legislation from Google and Facebook, and the perils of public referendums on complicated economic and political issues. Geeks of the week included the "Bunk 1" app which utilizes impressive (and somewhat creepy) facial recognition for summer camp students, and the benefits of following app / service hashtags on Twitter. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links

Welcome to episode 139 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 19, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed tips for both attendees and virtual learners during the 2019 International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) Conference in Philadelphia next week. Additional topics included updates from Google Education, hopeful news on Google reversing its proposal to end support of ad blockers in Chrome, and the imminent release of Google Stadia and streamed gaming to any device (including smartphones and Chromebooks.) Techniques used by Hong Kong protesters to organize using secure communication apps and masks to avoid facial surveillance technologies, another critical warning for users of older Microsoft Windows operating systems, and signs the U.S. electrical grid control systems have been compromised by hackers were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included the XDA Developer's website for Android early adopters and a recent TWiT Triangulation podcast interview with Brian Hofer on Facial Recognition and Surveillance Technology. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Welcome to episode 138 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 12, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Apple's June 2019 event announcements, more rumblings of forthcoming tech giant regulations, Microsoft's official pronouncement that "mandatory password changing is “ancient and obsolete," and much more. Geeks of the Week included the Good eReader Blog and a recent War College podcast episode about the US Navy's revised policy on UFO reporting. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.