The Digital Cafe on WYPR
Tuesdays 5:30pm – WYPR-88.1 fm- exploring the intersection of technology and its impact on our society.
(supported by Bowie-Jensen LLC)
Listen LIVE Online 5:30pm EDT | Get the podcast feed OR | Click to subscribe w/iTunes
A Social Learning Network
What if you could customize a college degree by combining world class courses from different universities affordably? Marco Masoni sees that in the future of education. He’s a lawyer, writer, educator, and cofounder of Einztein which curates videos and courses from institutions as diverse as Stanford and The British Museum.
air date: February 15, 2011
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
The Decline of Women in Tech
25% of U.S. IT professionals in 2009 are women, down from 36% from 1991.
18% of computer and IT degrees were earned by women in 2008, down from 37% in 1985.
Monica Beeman joins Mario to discuss these low statistics and Women.Tech, a Baltimore network for the growth and development of women in technology.
air date: February 8, 2011
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
An Online Journalism Experiment Debuts in Baltimore
Fabrice Florin joins us to talk about a new journalism experiment that’s happening in Baltimore right now. He’s the founder and executive director of NewsTrust. It’s a social news network devoted to good journalism that’s just begun a pilot program.
[disclaimer: WYPR is a partner in this experiment}
air date: February 2, 2011
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
CES 2011 in 5 Minutes
144,000 people, 80 countries, 2700 exhibitors, 1.5 million square feet.
Mario went to CES so you don’t have to. Here are the top 4 trends from CES.
1. Smart TVs: The living room television repositioned as a computer with internet access.
2. Tablets: There were 3 that weren’t the iPad that stood out.
3. Automotive Tech: Voice recognition, in-dash computer systems, social networking, all things that you can do besides drive.
4. Ubiquitous Computing: Never stop using the internet!
air date: January 18, 2011
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
The Fragmented Web
The World Wide Web’s turned 20 and its creator Tim Berners-Lee recently wrote an essay in Scientific American warning about companies and practices that he says are threatening the democratic potential of the Web. He cites social networking sites like Facebook, closed systems like Apple’s iTunes system, and tendency of magazines to produce smartphone apps instead of web apps disturbing. Ryan Goff, Social Media Marketing Director at MGH joins us to talk about the fragmentation of the web, the days of AOL’s version of the internet, and spreading messages online.
air date: December 28, 2010
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
The Top Internet Trends of 2010
David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards, Co-Founder of Internet Week, and the publisher of daily email newsletter Netted joins Mario for a retrospective talk of the web trends of 2010 and, added bonus! provides easy and unique holiday gift ideas.
air date: December 21, 2010
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
The (World Wide) Wire
According to the New York Times, top officials from the FBI traveled to Silicon Valley to meet with managers of major companies including Google and Facebook to expand the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, a law from 1994 to impose regulations on Internet companies. Michael Byrne, editor at Baltimore’s City Paper and staff writer at Technology website Motherboard.TV has been following this story and joins us today to discuss wire-tapping the World Wide Web.
air date: December 14, 2010
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
A Verdict on the iPad, 8 Months Later
It’s been about 8 months since the iPad debuted. It’s made Time’s “50 Best Inventions of 2010” list. A recent report from IT research firm Gartner predicted that tablets will “displace around 10 percent of PC units by 2014”. Some research analysts have said that it’s the most quickly adopted non-phone electronic gizmo, surpassing the DVD player. It’s Oprah’s favorite “all time thing.” Gus Sentementes of the Baltimore Sun’s BaltTech joins us to look back at the iPad nearly a year after the launch hype.
air date: December 7, 2010
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
Obama’s Videogame Challenge
President Obama announced a National STEM contest to promote learning through game design and inspire careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
What is your perspective on video games being used in education? Is it a waste of time? Have you ever been inspired to learn by video games? Anyone interested in kickstarting a youth challenge or after school program using games to inspire youth in Baltimore?
air date: October 19, 2010
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
Startup Opportunities Spring From Recession
2009 was a great year for entrepreneurs according to several recently release reports from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The number of Startup businesses created even surpassing the technology boom of 1999. Talisa Chang joins Mario to discuss why this is happening now. She’s talent associate with Solvate, a startup that matches freelance talent with small businesses for projects.
air date: August 31, 2010
Podcast (wypr): Play in new window | Download
