Avoid speed traps & red-light cameras using Trapster mobile app
Many of you will be hitting the road for the Labor Day weekend before you hop in the car you might want to take a look at a mobile app called Trapster. I just got wind of it recently & it helps you pinpoint speedtraps and red-light cameras. The data is sent in from other travelers, there are more than 60,000 updates from other drivers out there. The mobile app is a free download and has a feature that will enable the phone to beep when a speedtrap is approached.
I certainly don’t advocate for breaking the speed limit but I have been burned by red-light cameras in the past. My bottom line: I would like to know if I’m approaching a red-light camera :-)
How do you feel about this type of app? Will it contribute to more speeding? Will you download it?
Back to School series – Tutor.com, DimensionU games & FreeTech4Teachers
On CNN today, I did my last installment of a month-long series of back to school tech segments. It’s been a great 4 weeks sharing all types of tips, services and advice on how technology can help parents, students and teachers! Today I shared tips on:
1. Homework help sites like Tutor.com – an online tutoring company that offers tutoring 24/7 to students, no appointments and it’s highly interactive with a shared whiteboard, text and voice chat, ability to upload projects and problems etc…I have met the CEO and some of the other staff at tutor.com and feel absolutely comfortable highly recommending them as a source of help!
I also gave a quick shout outs to:
FreeTech4Teachers.com – this is the BEST site hands-down for teachers needing to find FREE tools and services they can implement in the classroom. The chief blogger/owner of the site is Richard Byrne, he’s an awesome person that really cares about helping teachers succeed with free, open-source and other tech tools. I am a fan of his work and what he stands for! If you are a teacher you’ll love this site, if you are a parent or student who ended up reading this post – please make sure you tell your teachers about the site–they are cash-strapped and need all the help they can obtain!
DimensionU.com – Suite of Educational Based Games that embed over 400 math and literacy skills in a multitude of 3D, interactive formats. I know the founder Ntiedo Etuk and he is serious about helping kids learn through the power of interactive gaming. This is a great tool for home and the classroom.
Teachers get a Tech Makeover for your classroom
eInstruction is delivering an awesome contest for teachers across the U.S. In fact it’s their 4th annual, and the prize packages are bigger than ever. More than $160,000 in cutting-edge technology will be given away to three deserving classrooms through the contest. To enter, students will have to create short, creative music videos demonstrating how they would use the technology to enhance their learning experience.
Full disclaimer: I am 1 of the judges for this competition!
Here is a direct link to the contest website: http://2010classroommakeover.shycast.com/
Back to School for students; Laptops vs Netbooks, Discounts & laptop anti-theft
This morning on my weekly CNN segment (Saturdays 8:20am EDT) I shared some Back to School laptop vs. netbook shopping tips, anti-theft tips & 2 Sony devices. Unfortunately, due to breaking news we didn’t have a lot of time to cover all the content I was ready to share, so here’s the info:
1. Laptops vs Netbooks
Laptops cost more and in most cases (not all) they are heavier to carry from class to class. However, they will give the student much more commuting power, ability to run multiple programs, a dvd drive and oh yeah laptops are great for gaming and entertainment as well as preparing papers and doing research. The screen sizes range from 11 to 17inches. If the student is pursuing graphic design, multimedia or any computer majors I suggest taking a good look at the laptops over the notebooks.
Netbooks cost much less, some starting as low as $199. The screen sizes are much smaller than laptops and they are super lightweight. Carrying a netbook from class to class is a piece of cake. The small size also makes them easy to use in class in small workspaces. If you are thinking about buying a netbook make sure you try them out in the store and get a feel for them as the keyboard sizes are smaller and may take some getting used to & the screens are smaller so they may have to get used to doing alot of vertical scrolling. The netbook is not for the gamer or computer programmer they are best for internet surfing, word processing and email. Some come with a webcam too for those of you who want to video conference with your “away-from-home” students.
On the air I showed the size difference between a Sony VAIO laptop and Sony VAIO netbook (see photo). By the way I’m really digging these Sony devices the laptop is a totally stylish workhorse and the netbook is super lightweight, stylish and practical.
I also wanted to share some Back to School buying tips:
1. Check with the school 1st, they may have discounts with particular manufacturers.
2. When purchasing online or at stores make sure you look and ask specifically for student discounts (everyone has some type of discount or promotion for students). For example Microsoft is offering Microsoft Office Suite for $79 from the normal $149. MAC is offering a free iPodTouch with a student purchase of a MAC. Sony is offering “Backstage Pass” – this gives students a suite of services including; techs to help you customize your VAIO, tech support, they’ll migrate your data from an old computer to the new VAIO and there is online data backup included for a year.
Anti-Theft tips:
After making your decision on a laptop you need to protect the investment. There are hardware and software options out there:
1. For example, I recommend buying a Kensington Combosaver Combination Portable Notebook Lock. They start as low as $24.99, this way they can secure their device to a desk and I recommend the combo lock unit, this way you don’t have to worry about keeping track of keys.
2. Software like LoJackForLaptops – this costs about $35 bucks for 1 year or $80 for 3 years, but can be well worth it! If your computer is stolen and connects to the internet LoJackForLaptops can identify the location and work with police to recover it. Additionally, you can remote-wipe all or some of your data off of it.
Come back to the blog often, I’ll be sharing more tips here and on my twitter feed, follow along http://twitter.com/marioarmstrong
Also, leave a comment if you have any Back to School tips that’s worked for you!
Rent TextBooks; Book rentals from Chegg, Bookrenter & other sites can save you tons $$$
I really want to make sure my tips are SAVING people money and helping you make sound school technology purchases!
My 1st tip to kickoff the month long series of my “Back to School Tech Tips” starts with renting NOT buying textbooks. On average U.S. college students spend $1,122 each year for text books. The rental websites in many cases saves you 50% or more for renting the book not owning it. I don’t know about you but I wish they had this around when I was in school I NEVER made out on selling books back to the bookstore.
Here is a short video of my CNN segment (TUNE IN every Sat at 8:20am EDT or set your DVR :-)
Here are some of the sites I mentioned this week on CNN:
http://www.Chegg.com – been around for quite some time, some people have called it the Netflix of online book rentals. Ohh and one neat thing about CHEGG is that they apparently are an eco-friendly company, they plant a tree for every book rented.
http://www.RentScouter.com – this site is like a comparison shopping website that searches for a variety of costs for the book you are interested in, whether its new, used, or rental. It’s like a travelocity for book prices.
What do you think? What websites have you used that I missed? Have/Will you rent textbooks? Please share your tips and advice in the comments so others may learn and benefit!
Back to School technology tips, advice and discounts!
All this month on the blog and on various radio & tv shows I’ll be sharing Back to School technology tips to help you save money, make smart investments and identify some of the most useful educational gadgets. Come back to the blog often to see what I uncover each week. My Back to School tech segments will be seen weekly on CNN at 8:20am EDT for the month of August and I’ll be hopping on the TODAY show next Friday.
Video: So tired of reports suggesting the Digital Divide is closing!
I’m not going to write a long post about this topic, I’d rather you get my thoughts from the video. Basically, I’m HEATED about how people are defining the Digital Divide. A recent Pew & Internet American Life Project stated that Blacks and Hispanics are the biggest users of the mobile web.
And due to this report some people are saying the digital divide is closing! Sounds like GREAT news right? Well then, why am I sooooooooo ticked? See vid and share your thoughts in the comments!
Techies to the rescue with Oil Reporter mobile app!
Until recently, when a disaster happened you would typically think about physical actions and volunteerism that would be necessary, in other words on-the-ground human capital resources. That traditional thought process is rapidly changing due to organizations like Crisis Commons and the many, many software developers who are lending their expertise to assist in creating very critical technology tools to assist individuals and organizations dealing with disasters. Recently, that display of rapid techie involvement for a common solution was demonstrated in the development of a new mobile application called Oil Reporter.
SEE VIDEO OF my CNN report:
What can the app do?
The app enables you to use your phone to report what you are seeing on the ground. For example you can upload video, photos and text, documenting areas and wildlife affected by the oil spill. The app asks you questions like, How much oil do you see?, Is there widlife present?, What’s the impact to wetlands? In the app you can also follow all the tweets taking place about the spill so you can stay informed and there are links to volunteer organizations. The app is a free download!
To the Batmobile-let’s go!
The Oil Reporter mobile app was developed in a lightning-fast 3 days and made available on not one but 2 different mobile platforms, the iPhone and Android phones. To get this created and out the door so fast there were 3 main partners in the effort–1) the app was created by developers from Intridea 2) they used a mobile software platform called Titanium from Appcelerator & 3) Crisis Commons an international volunteer network of technical and biz professionals with major, major tech skillz :-) drawn together by a call to service.
How can you get involved?
2) Attend the Washington DC, Crisis Camp Saturday June 5th!
3) GO here for more ideas on how you can help NOW
4) GET the WORD OUT! If you know developers or individuals working for relief organizations they could also be using the free and open-source data to create their own custom apps to help with documentation and recovery. So please tell as many people as possible about this free resource!
Mario (Ur Digital Lifestyle Expert) on the Rachael Ray show
Tune in this Friday to catch Mario’s Rachael Ray interview! Check Show Times for your area For my Baltimore peeps, Ill be on WMAR-TV from 9-10a then on Rachael Ray from 10am EDT. We are having an informal “viewing party” at One World Cafe in Baltimore near Johns Hopkins University. They’ll have the tv’s on full blast, so come have breakfast & mimosas from 10a-11a! :-)
It was awesome being a guest on the Rachael Ray show! She was a gracious, professional and savvy host and her production team is incredible! The behind-the-scenes perspective really shows how hard these folks work! From booking to going on-air they made sure everything was completely smooth, even though it looked like complete chaos! The producers J & A were really great peeps! Thanks, ladies!
On the show Rachael & I talk about some online safety tips. This episode was taped before the FaceBook privacy changes so keep that in mind when you watch. I honestly feel that many people should pay more attention to what they are revealing about themselves online. Some of the sites I mentioned like; FourSquare, Gowalla & Loopt! I love to use these sites BUT many people are NOT using these sites safely and they need to be educated and made aware to enjoy the services more and be safe while doing so!
Tune in this Friday 10-11a EDT on ABC OR hit me on twitter or FaceBook for the Baltimore viewing party :-)
