Mario Digital Spin BlogMario's Bloghttp://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010-03-16T15:13:49ZSquarespaceCNN-Mayor of Baltimore Announces "Google Czar"!http://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/3/16/cnn-mayor-of-baltimore-announces-google-czar.htmlMario Armstrong2010-03-16T15:10:26Z2010-03-16T15:10:26ZEach Saturday at 8:20am & 10:20am EDT you can catch my tech segments on CNN. This clip is about the Google Fiber for Communities Competition and the Google Czar announcement by Baltimore Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

]]>NYC school uses Motion Capture in classroomhttp://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/2/25/nyc-school-uses-motion-capture-in-classroom.htmlMario Armstrong2010-02-25T11:21:55Z2010-02-25T11:21:55Z

]]>U.S. Innovation and the future pipeline at stake!http://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/2/20/us-innovation-and-the-future-pipeline-at-stake.htmlMario Armstrong2010-02-20T18:50:34Z2010-02-20T18:50:34ZToday on CNN, I spoke about the need for us to become more creative in our approach to inspire more youth to pursue STEM (Science, Technology Engineering & Math). Bottom line: we need more students to aspire to be future PhD holders in tech-related areas or the U.S. will ABSOLUTELY lose its competitive edge.

Many organizations are doing what they can to address the issue but what else needs to be done? I had an opportunity to participate on the Northrop Grumman Foundation Zero G flights, it was an amazing experience that I still today use as a highlight to talk to young students.

Matell recently had a contest for Barbies new career and the voters choose Computer Engineer. You may or may not agree with the look of the doll which will be out in November 2010 but in my little opinion - whatever it takes to get more young girls interested in technology I am ALL for it.

There are also great programs like Alice.org from Carnegie Mellon or Scratch from MIT. Everyone needs to do something to keep the momentum going.

I co-founded the Urban Video Game Academy and founded the TechTechBoom.com social network to encourage more students to pursue tech education and careers.

Teachers looking to participate in the flights come back after 3p edt & I'll have the updated info for you.

What would you like to see done and what are you doing? (tell me in the comments, I'd love to hear about it).

For those in the Illinois area - I'll be delivering a keynote speech at the Illinois Computing Educators conference about this topic-register and come by if you can -- http://www.iceberg.org/ice_conference

]]>Text4Baby - Mobile Health programhttp://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/2/13/text4baby-mobile-health-program.htmlMario Armstrong2010-02-13T21:29:37Z2010-02-13T21:29:37ZToday, on my CNN tech segment I mentioned a new text messaging program for expecting Moms called Text4Baby. The mobile health program will help expecting Mom's get prenatal health tips for free on their mobile device. You can register online or by sending a text message on your phone. Just text BABY to 511411 for English version or BEBE to 511411 for Spanish version. They are working with Emory University for other languages and YES they are looking at creating a Daddy module.

To me this is HUGE and also really gives the U.S. a way to see how we might react to mobile health programs. If this is successful, I could see diabetes, asthma or other chronic health issues utilizing mobile devices to reach more people.

For more info:

http://www.Text4Baby.com

And also 2 great mobile & Health 2.0 blogs:

http://www.PulseandSignal.com

http://www.MobileHealthNews.com

]]>Free phones & service for low-income Americans!http://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/2/13/free-phones-service-for-low-income-americans.htmlMario Armstrong2010-02-13T13:40:22Z2010-02-13T13:40:22ZI just got off the air on CNN for my weelky tech segment (8:20am edt) and fewlt that I really needed to post more info about today's segment. Recently, I have been researching some free phone and free service programs. The two I have checked out are SafeLinkWireless.com & AssuranceWireless.com both programs are available due to the LifelIne Assistance program created by the Reagan Administration in 1984 originally created to help discount needy families landline phone service & to essentially offer telecommunication services to low-income Americans. The USF is not funded taxpayer dollars but through contributions from telecommunications companies.

Fast Forward to the wireless age and we now have companies that are utilizing the Univ Service Fund to help needy Americans.

SafeLinkWireless offers anywhere between 55-68 minutes free per month, is available in 19 states and has 2 million customers.

AssuranceWireless offers 200 free minutes per month and is currently available in 4 states.

Goto their websites for more details and eligibility requirements. I REALLY hope this program helps needy families that need basic communication tools to look for jobs, make emergency calls,  doctor appointments and stay in touch with family and friends.

]]>White House launches iPhone/iPod Touch app - CNN videohttp://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/1/24/white-house-launches-iphoneipod-touch-app-cnn-video.htmlMario Armstrong2010-01-24T16:28:29Z2010-01-24T16:28:29Z

]]>White House launches iPhone apphttp://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/1/20/white-house-launches-iphone-app.htmlMario Armstrong2010-01-20T13:16:55Z2010-01-20T13:16:55Z

It's official the White House has an iPhone app! I installed the app 1st thing this morning to see its features etc... The app is free and has no advertising associated with it. I've placed calls into my White House contacts to schedule an interview with the app developers. The app has a very clean design and very simplified interface. One feature that stands out is live video streaming. With this app you can watch White House public events live streamed! There are many times that I'd like to tune in to a press briefing or other live event and I'm not near C-span but I always have my phone with me.

For example later today I'll be on the road but I'll be tuning in to an 11:30 press briefing from my iPhone in-bewtwen meetings.

And next week it going to be interesting to watch how people react to viewing the President’s State of the Union speech next week on their phone. 1st State of the Union watched live from the 1-foot experience.

What are your thoughts on the White House making an iPhone app? Cool, a means for propaganda, useless, effective?


 


]]>Mobile App small biz success story!http://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/1/19/mobile-app-small-biz-success-story.htmlMario Armstrong2010-01-19T18:48:27Z2010-01-19T18:48:27ZFor the past couple of years I have been talking about the mobile app-development opportunity. I was expressing my concern for entreprerneurs to do whatever was necessary to learn about developing apps for the mobile platform. Fast forward to today and there are over 100,000 iPhone apps and additional Operating Systems like Android to develop for - NOW it seems everyone is developing an app or trying to but there are still some basics to success. Take a look:

]]>2010 Digital Empowerment Summit w/Tavis Smiley, Hill Harper & Mario Armstronghttp://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/1/13/2010-digital-empowerment-summit-wtavis-smiley-hill-harper-ma.htmlMario Armstrong2010-01-13T23:32:01Z2010-01-13T23:32:01ZI'm honored to be a part of this event and to be moderating with Tavis Smiley and Actor, Hill Harper! The summit is entitled "The 2010 Digital Empowerment Summit" by the Alliance for Digital Equality is happening at USC this Friday Jan. 15th (you can also watch online). There will be a series of panels, sessions and tons of networking with people who still recognize that there is a digital divide still happening in our country! For those of you who can't make it to USC the SUMMIT WILL BE STREAMED LIVE on Friday. To watch the free live internet broadcast and get more info head to: http://www.alliancefordigitalequality.org/

Here's a video about the summit and ADE Chairman Julius Hollis

]]>Get cash for recycling your old gadgets using Gazelle!http://www.marioarmstrong.com/blog/2010/1/13/get-cash-for-recycling-your-old-gadgets-using-gazelle.htmlMario Armstrong2010-01-13T15:53:03Z2010-01-13T15:53:03ZI love Gazelle.com! The idea is that you can recycle your old gadgets for money. Here's a vid on how it works. I think the greatest thing about Gazelle is offering you the ability to create an easy and free fundraising website for your fav non-profit, church maybe your school or rec league etc...

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