Simple Mathematcal Pattern Describes Shape of Neuron 'Jungle'

Neurons look remarkably like trees, and connect to other cells with many branches that effectively act like wires in an electrical circuit, carrying impulses that represent sensation, emotion, thought and action.

Over 100 years ago, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, the father of modern neuroscience, sought to systematically describe the shapes of neurons, and was convinced that there must be a unifying principle underlying their diversity.

Cajal proposed that neurons spread out their branches so as to use as little wiring as possible to reach other cells in the network. Reducing the amount of wiring between cells provides additional space to pack more neurons into the brain, and therefore increases its processing power.

New work by UCL neuroscientists, published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has revisited this century-old hypothesis using modern computational methods. They show that a simple computer program which connects points with as little wiring as possible can produce tree-like shapes which are indistinguishable from real neurons -- and also happen to be very beautiful. They also show that the shape of neurons follows a simple mathematical relationship called a power law.

Power laws have been shown to be common across the natural world, and often point to simple rules underlying complex structures. Dr Herman Cuntz (UCL Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research) and colleagues find that the power law holds true for many types of neurons gathered from across the animal kingdom, providing strong evidence for Ramon y Cajal's general principle.

The UCL team further tested the theory by examining neurons in the olfactory bulb, a part of the brain where new brain cells are constantly being formed. These neurons grow and form new connections even in the adult brain, and therefore provide a unique window into the rules behind the development of neural trees in a mature neural circuit.

The team analysed the change in shape of the newborn olfactory neurons over several days, and found that the growth of these neurons also follow the power law, providing further evidence to support the theory.
Dr Hermann Cuntz said: "The ultimate goal of neuroscience is to understand how the impenetrable neural jungle can give rise to the complexity of behaviour.

"Our findings confirm Cajal's original far-reaching insight that there is a simple pattern behind the circuitry, and provides hope that neuroscientists will someday be able to see the forest for the trees."

'Facebook for Animals' Tested On Wild Great Tits

How animals associate in groups can have important consequences in terms of the health and survival of both individuals and whole populations; influencing factors such as the spread of disease and the ability to find food or mates.

But revealing the networks underlying animal societies is a challenge when a large amount of fieldwork data consists of a long stream of automated observations of the times and locations of individuals, leaving scientists to try and reconstruct the 'big picture' of how individuals are connected.

The new approach can automatically identify periods of intense social activity within a large number of observations -- in this example around one million observations of wild great tits (Parus major). This makes it possible to examine these periods in greater detail and calculate which individuals are real 'friends', rather than random passers-by, and even which are looking to pair up and mate.

A report of the research is published in this week's Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

'If you think of the data about you in Facebook it records things like who you are friends with, where you've been, and what you share with others,' said Ioannis Psorakis of Oxford University's Department of Engineering Science, who led the research. 'What we have shown is that we can analyse data about individual animals, in this case great tits, to construct a 'Facebook for animals' revealing who affiliates with who, who are members of the same group, and which birds are regularly going to the same gatherings or 'events.''

They team tested the new technique on data from two breeding seasons of wild great tits (August 2007-March 2008 and August 2008-March 2009). The data came from transponders attached to thousands of birds and sensors that logged when individuals appeared at any one of 67 bird feeders spread throughout Wytham Woods, Oxford.

The researchers found that their predictions from this data about which birds were 'friends' that regularly foraged for food together, as well as which birds were starting the process of pairing up or were already in a pair, matched visual observations made by zoologists.

'What we've shown is that our technique can extract information about the networks that bind individuals together by sampling and analysing their mobility patterns,' said Ioannis Psorakis. 'Our approach makes it possible to look at huge amounts of data without having to decide what time resolution is best to extract meaning -- the model evaluates this automatically. This is just the first exalple of how zoologists are beginning to use our method to explore social networks of animals in a 'big data' context.'

Early results from the work with great tits suggest that individual birds do not participate in flocks at random, but have a bias towards other members of the population they interact with. The majority of networks extracted using the approach are strongly clustered, and in such tight bird communities, individuals forage together and interact with their current or future mating partner.

This approach is being used not only in great tits, but also in a mix of wild-bird social networks, exploring the animal sociality at an inter-species level. Some of the most important future steps in this work are to combine the 'social' information available through this method, with other types of information: for example combining it with genetic data is enabling researchers to explore the genetic basis of sociality: do genetically similar individuals attract each other, or is it the other way round? Can we find specific areas of the genome that account for gregariousness?

The work could also help researchers understand how information spreads through animal populations. Tits are a famous exemplar of social learning: for instance, the habit of pecking open milk bottles on doorsteps to get access to cream spread rapidly through England in the mid 20th Century. The new approach is helping scientists to test how specific social structures help or hinder the spread of novel information from individual to individual.

Popular Fly Fishing Rods

A complete enjoyment will be obtained through the great character people have discovered. In acquiring the satisfaction of fresh water fly fishing, somebody will need to have a satisfactory fly rod. To get a flyfishing created to feel proper the actual rod and reel must have a smart stability. Do you want to spend very much to be able to induce a high quality reel? Any soar fly reel may be the third most considerable product to a standard flyfishing set-up, together with fly fishing fly fishing rod and also soar series getting range one and a couple.

A travel baitcasting reel need to match these aspects just before it may even be thought-about since the most effective fly rod for your funds. In most cases, a very long time warranty is adequate. Especially, constantly keep in mind that the soar fly fishing reels or perhaps fly fishing rods must come back using a potential guarantee. Inside TridentFlyFishing.com, you’ll have got different selections of fly rod beneath the well-known brand names. greys fly rods are probably the well-known fishing supports on the market to suit your needs. Never ever obtain a thing that seems sketchy or perhaps does not have a guaranty sum beyond 12 months.

The main topic of choosing a fly rod along with a fly baitcasting reel is regarding debatable character. It’s probably as a result of different thoughts which anglers keep around as well as dear to their minds. Pleasure can be wanted through attaching to the dynamics. After having a soar reel, an individual may invite his / her entire relationships or even pals to travel fishing collectively. Sure, you’ll have the ability to count on a certain rod for a long time nonetheless there’s perpetually something new and also up-to-date inside the market. tfo fly rods in which conjointly provide top quality and adaptability which can be necessary for performing flyfishing. Merely visit and look TridentFlyFishing.com: A spot in order to need the high high quality flyfishing garments.

What Does an Electronic Component’s Name Means?

When you are arranging a circuit board to make a certain electronic devices or to repair a damaged board, you certainly have to know every electronic component that is mounted or etched on it. There are various electronic components that can be placed on a circuit board and each of those components has a specific name based on JEDEC (Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council) nomenclature. Each named component has specific characteristics. If you buy a 2N2222 bipolar junction transistor, for example, you are referring to a metal-canned transistor that has a maximum of 625 miliwatts of power dissipation and a maximum of 60 volts of voltage rating. Of course this nomenclature system is established because a specific type of electronic component has many variants. The aforementioned bipolar junction transistor, for example, has an almost similar duplicate called PN2222, whose only difference from this transistor is that PN2222 uses plastic can instead of metal can. If you want to buy a certain electronic component to be mounted on your circuit board, make sure you know the name of the component that you want to buy.

Among many electronic components that you can buy from any electronic stores, either local or online, signal diode is possibly one of components that have the most variants. The primary function of such signal diodes as 1N4148 diode is to force electricity to flow to only one direction. Signal diodes are made from such semiconductors as germanium and silicone. Semiconductors are materials that neither allow electricity to flow as effectively as it does on conductors nor resist electricity as strongly as insulators do. Diode is made from semiconductor so that it can resist electricity to flow alternatively in two directions and at the same time allow electricity to flow in one direction. Signal diode has many uses, one of which is to emit light when current flows through it. A variant of diode that is used for this function is called LED.

Just like other named electronic components, a signal diode with a specific name also has specific characteristics. BAV99 signal diode, for example, is one whose maximum repetitive reverse voltage is 70 volts, average rectified forward current is 200 mA, storage temperature range is between -55 to 150 degree Celsius, and operating junction temperature range is the same with that of its storage temperature. Make sure you define the name of signal diode that you want to buy so that you don’t choose the wrong item.

What to Expect in Spyware Removal

When deciding what to buy to how to remove spyware, there are some things you should consider. Those things must make a decision little "easier. All things below should consider when looking for the best program or before using spyware Removal program. It’s fair for you to say that best anti-spyware program to protect your computer against all kinds of threats, past and present. This may include Adware, Keyloggers, Malware, Spyware, dialers, Trojans, browser hijackers, and.

The threats listed above are some of common infections and malignant today. All these programs may seriously affect the performance of your computer, and can even endanger their safety. The most important aspects of rogueware Removal program are usually automatic updates of the best anti-spyware. It is constant flood of new programs and even threatened every day of liberation. Not only business houses, but also those affected by spyware. Your personal information may be intercepted, and thus access their personal information, such as Social Security numbers and credit card numbers of the poor. Both spyware and adware removal programs have begun to compete, because the technology has progressed. Both can use technology to write better programs. However, it is easy to install anti-spyware programs on your computer.

We must distinguish between automatic and manual operations choose to install the software to remove spyware software. If the automatic update programs automatically, and it is easy to maintain. Manual removal of Spyware software operation is too simple.

movie poster templates

The particular media center manager regarding RonyaSoft, a poster software program designer, today announced adding twenty new movie poster templates. The RonyaSoft Poster Designer is a software package which usually enables customers in order to quickly and easily produce specialist custom made posters, ad banners as well as signs after that produce the particular finished merchandise on a property or office computer.

The poster creator is shipped with a assortment of ready-to-use templates that can come inside a wide selection of types as well as designs. New templates that have been recently put into the particular RonyaSoft Poster Designer require the user to simply add text message so that you can create attractive and awe-inspiring paper prints and ads.

I like many, especially motivational poster maker program because I am a large motion picture fan. We have film cards throughout the house. We make them upward or I replicate the original design and then make my own, personal changes to get it just the approach I'd like. My partner and i highly recommend RonyaSoft.

For that much more innovative specialists the poster software program permits users to generate cards and ad banners on your own, and so they can create their very own templates to make use of repeatedly. The application comes with several producing options including printing straight to a printer or foreign trade to an graphic record which can be sent in electronic format to some printing company. Paper prints can also be released online to well-known social networking platforms including Fb, Myspace . com, LiveJournal and Stumbleupon.

The RonyaSoft Poster Developer software programs are capable of printing posters and also banners in many sizes, and also the aid of the particular RonyaSoft Poster Inkjet printer add-on, customers can easily print big-size multipage paper prints. The only real limit to creating posters of any dimensions or perhaps style will be the user’s creativity because the software is very easy to use as well as allows design your own posters free nevertheless they desire.

The Benefits of IT Consumerization

As a business operator who is interested in using cloud computing, you seemingly will also be interested in consumerizing your workforce. As you surely have known, cloud computing now becomes the most popular computing system due to many benefits offered by cloud computing. Affordable cost and flexible management are two great benefits that always become the reasons to use cloud computing system. In fact, soon after people use cloud computing, they usually will start considering the consumerization of IT. In an online article, a cloud computing expert even predicts that IT consumerization will become a growing trend soon.

Actually, consumerizing your workforce can give you at least three great benefits. The first benefit is ability to work anytime from anywhere. You can simply instruct your employees to BYOD so they can work from anywhere. If your employees can work anytime from anywhere, there won’t be any work unaccomplished. Meaning to say, since your employees can work anytime from anywhere, all of their works can be accomplished on time. The next benefit of IT consumerization is accessible. Whether you are on the go or at an overseas meeting, you can always get data about your company. This opportunity is absolutely advantageous as it enables you to do your jobs more easily. What you need to do to is only to access your company’s network using your mobile devices. This will surely avoid you from calling your company to ask for data.

Then, the third benefit of IT consumerization is chances to reduce business expenses. Since your employees can work anytime from anywhere, you will not need to pay for overtime works. This will surely reduce the amount of money you should spend for your business every month. Therefore, if you haven’t used IT consumerization, you had better consider it since this system gives you many great benefits.

The develop process of the technology make efficient of the times

Recently, the cloud computing of the computer software spread to develop. The develop process of the cloud computing cause the new activity for use the new develop of cloud. The cloud process use wireless for access more the application directly. We just using internet access can many of the application can we download and install to our computer. For the last method is still by using client server for access the application, for this time, we just using cloud access that very easy and efficient for getting the applications. 

Cloud technology makes the user can add some application easily. The application can easily apply to our computer. Application install directly by using the internet connection. To protect the connection, there is cloud security support the cloud computing. Cloud security is developing sub domain of network security, information security and others broadly. Cloud security is associating with the cloud computing to access process. This period is just the latest update from the mainframe era. Cloud computing is very easy to operate and to install a few application. We simply connect the access to the Internet and connect to an application, support, and we can immediately download and can be used by the new application. 

We use a variety of application and the technology in hand. By using cloud computing the new release of technology can access easily by using the cloud computing. The develop process of the technology make efficiently and effective access. We didn’t waste time again like by using mainframe and client server era. This is the improved opportunities to be in the development process of technology. People can access many of the application that they want. Cloud computing can do much on the capacity of the access Application Details. Develop the process of technology can make better life that’s support our update of technology.

Datacenter can save all data from disaster

For this times internet is the biggest people needed that built connectivity for the others. With the internet we can across the worldwide just a few minute. We can access the internet connectivity easily. More and more times makes the connectivity better and still develop process. The internet can support to all the segment of human needed. Information for all the aspects about anything can found from the internet. The data from the internet develop as quickly as develop of the information that’s happen. To protect the data in internet, there are back up data for internet that build to safe all data that spread in internet. 

Those are the data centers that support the internet access. The Ashburn Virginia datacenter is one of the two data center that build in Virginia that support 100% power and 100% network access. The position of geographical the Ashburn Virginia that support for better serve market North America and South America. The others location that’s support by the Ashburn Virginia are Midwest and East Coast USA, Europe, Africa, and Middle East. The other one from the data centers that build to support the global internet is The San Diego California datacenter. San Diego datacenter is located at California. Different with the Ashburn Virginia, San Diego California data center is better serve the data center market West Cost USA, Asia, and Australia.  
San Diego data center also has guarantee and availability for the 100% power and 100% of connectivity that’s support the internet access related the serve market. The Ashburn Virginia datacenter and The San Diego California datacenter are serves as primary serve Disaster Recovery (DR) site. The all data that happen in the internet is had back up by data center to protect from the disaster site. From those, all the data can safety and can’t lose the old internet’s data.

Developt the technology for better images

High technology for the human is developt technology for the past. The technology is way for better life that’s help the pople to do some tasks or dailiy activity. People need some device to help their life more easily than the past time. The simple example is for the past time people use the animal for the land to grow their plant, but for tims time people have been used the machine to help their job. They don’t use some animal again. They just using land machine and the other device that’s support their activity. The others example is for the past, people watch the televition by using black and white colour. The next technology people has been used the colour televition that’s watch in their home. 

The technology not stopped from there, people continue to developt the technology. They built new technology for gets the beautiful images that’s help the people for the better images. People developt the image viewer to be best quality images with using VGA cable. The next generation for the cable that support the better images is developtment for VGA itself. Now, there is VGA over Cat5 that has a better images better than the last VGA. Technology always growth with better and improvement the last technology. They always improve the technology for help to human needed. 

The other improvement of technology is make for better life than before. Technology not only stopped from those, it always improve and make the others device that’s support some electronic ones. Technology not off from the electrician, they need electricity to support they power. That’s new era for developt technology in electronic device. More and more device built to help the human life for simple ways. That’s is simple life that’s people wanted for their life than before.

The Vulnerability Management

As these days business always use the computer technologies, the owners need to be careful and aware of business risk and of course they also need to make sure that they have the right and perfect application and software for their business. For your business, getting the Vulnerability Management can support your work as this can give you so many benefits. The Vulnerability Management has been used by so many people in managing their business so that they can save their time a lot. This is designed to help the people getting the network mapping and discovery and many more. Without this, you need to have more time to manage your business. It becomes the best solution for you as this has the best features that allow the security managers in auditing documents.

This is designed to help you in managing your business and easy to be used. When you need to have remediation tracking, then it can easily help and support you. This software gives the best solution for the automating auditing and also the vulnerability assessment in reporting. This vulnerability is the software that can be improperly used. For the organization and also business, protecting their system and their business is the most important thing and the Vulnerability Management is so helpful in the network security monitoring. Furthermore, the vulnerability management is regarded as the most important component for your data and your system. This is also regarded as the process of classifying, identifying, remediating problems, mitigating, and many more. The vulnerability can also exist in many numbers of different places with the technology functions such as operating system, application, network, and many others. Well, this also maintains and becomes the finest automated way in the payment card industry data security standard compliance. You can reduce your budget also if you use this vulnerability management.

GlacialTech represents a series of SnowPad cooling supports


GlacialTech represents a series of SnowPad cooling supports

Now GlacialTech represents a series of SnowPad cooling supports.
A new series includes N1/H2 models for laptops up to 17 inches.
Distinctive singularities of models are completely metal lattice case and quite silent fan. The support connected through an USB is convenient for using on desktop, and in a lap thanks to ergonomic design.
The changeable slope angle of a support allows refining heat extraction and provides more comfortable operation, and special overlays prevent laptop sliding on a support. Silvery color of models will perfectly be inscribed in an office interior as well as in house’s.

N1 Model is equipped with 2 USB ports for connection of other devices. In H2 model a supply moves on USB-connection. H2 Case is made of long-lasting plastic on the patented technology, and hinge connection allows adjusting support’s slope angle. Thus when folded the support is very compact and convenient for traveling. In both models the silent and economic 160-mm fan which is ideally suited for usage in laptops is installed. This gives number of benefits. Firstly, the power consumption is low enough. Secondly, there will be no annoying noise of working fan which will distract your attention from work.
GlacialTech represents a series of SnowPad cooling supports

Tiny contacts and cablings in a notebook are strongly subject to temperature change, and continuous operation of the computer can lead to that they fuse, and the laptop will fail as a result. Besides, long usage of a laptop on a lap can lead to serious traumas, leaving burns of the first level. Therefore the cooling support preserves not only life of your laptop, but also your health.

You can find more related topic about Tech news from around the world and news about all tech here.

bp oil spill claim at bp-oil-spill-lawfirm.com

Together with nearly a century of experience symbolizing customers through sole keepers to worldwide companies with lots of legal professionals oil spill lawyer to assist you recuperate the losses and help you in filing your own statements together with British petroleum. Several attorneys possess rated among the highest specifications in the market due to the fact know very well what it requires to operate a company.

If you were influenced by the actual British petroleum gulf coast bp claims, you need to mark the upcoming April something like 20, next year timeline on your own work schedule. This date marks the main one 12 months anniversary with the spill and it is the deadline inside the upcoming multidistrict lawsuit. So that you can protect the directly to retrieve towards Transocean you need to file an answer and also declare by 04 twenty, next year. The Court has simple the method to launch your declare against Transocean. A Legal Court has authorized an immediate Processing Quick Kind. You can aquire the particular Short Type on the internet www.bp-oil-spill-lawfirm.com.

The particular Transocean litigation is actually slated to begin February, 2012. In the event you skilled personal injury, loss of revenue, property damage, enterprise loss, or other financial loss from the acrylic drip, you should think about filling out this type to have the right to follow Transocean to bp oil spill claim . If you have legal counsel he/she may be carrying this out for you. If you do not provide an legal professional, you might find the form online and fill it up the your self. Any person needing legal services regarding protection under the law, should make contact with a legal professional.

Advantages and modifications in linear actuators

Movement handle method offers reached it's top with the improvement inside engineering and this fits great for linear actuators. These are the lengthy version regarding more mature actuators and also have recently been altered to be able to support much more fill, pressure, handle, sturdiness, speed and obligation routine. Velocity is essential inside everything, specially in situation of movement control tools. These kinds of linear actuators will likely become run at various speeds and can withstand massive weight. Thus they are perfect for use within difficult environments. Due to their elevated capacity, these people find programs in several career fields including executive, meals processing, farming, harvesters, healthcare etc.

They may be made to avoid a myriad of physical traces and also shocks. There are only a few areas from which we can get great actuators. Progressiveautomations.com is one these kinds of online shop in which they provide all kinds in order to automation equipments. You will find a wide range of goods arranged in a variety of categories. They have special deals upon specific equipments every day. Also, they are qualified by godaddy.com like a secure and validated web store. In addition they offer special architectural assistance to all or any their customers. You can also take a look at the particular reviews and movies to know a little more about many

WebQuest Create and Access Interactive Quizes and Assessements for Free

Zunal WebQuest Maker is a great web tool for teachers. It is basically a Web-based software for creating WebQuests in a short time without the need for any HTML Coding. I have been going around its main features and was enthralled by the great wealth of educational materials it has.

Zunal WebQuest Maker is completely free and does not require any download. You just need to register and open your free account there. Once a member you will be able to create your own web-based quests. There are more than 100 templates for you to choose from. You can also browse the webquests already provided there to have an idea of what to inlude in them and how they are built.  There is a section called WebQuest Menu on the left hand side where you can access a set of pre made quests made by others. They are organized into different categories such as Art Music, English/Language, Foreign Language....etc. Let'sus now see what it has to offer you.





Some features of Zunal WebQuest Maker

Here is a list of the main features that Zunal WebQuest Maker offers to its users:
  • It is free
  • It is easy to use
  • It has a user friendly interface
  • It allows users to create their own webquests
  • It provides more than 100 templates pre made
  • It lets users attach unlimited files, Youtube and Google Videos
  • You can preview your quest before publishing it
  • It offers some very nice interactive models
  • It ets you add unlimited pages
  • You can add table/ rubric
  • Users can also create quizes and add a photo gallery
  • You can also add maps using Google Maps services
  • You can share your WbQuest with others via email, Facebook. Twitter 
  • You can also export your quests in PDF, Word, or Excel format.

Head over to WebQuest and give it a try.

Hot Potatoes Easily Create Interactive Quizes and Assignments

Hot Potatoes is another awesome tool that allows teachers to create interactive quizes. I have aready talked about this website two years ago in a post here but I am reviewing it again because there has been some interesting updates recently.


potatoes



Hot Potatoes requires a download. You will be able to find the download file you need for your computer. It supports Windows, Mac, and Lunix. If you use Windows like me then look for the version 6.3 and the Java version 6.1. You are already granted license to download so do not worry about privacy issues. Just remember that when you first start up Hot Potatoes, it will ask you for your user name. This is stored on your computer and will be used to identify you as the author of any work you do on Hot Potatoes. So you need to make sure to provide a user name before you start uinsg any of its features.

The Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications that will enable you to do the following:

  1. Create interactive multiple-choice exercises
  2. Create short-answer or crossword taska
  3. Make jambled- sentences exersices
  4. Create  matching/ordering and gap-fill exercies

Hot Potatoes is also a freeware which means that you can use it for other legal purposes and projects.

Nottez Easily Take Notes Online

Nottez is a great note taking app for educators and teachers. You can use it to take and save  notes online  at the instant of a click. I know there are several tools that can do the same job as this one but what is really special about Nottez is its simplicity and usability.


nottez



Just head over to Nottez main page and type in a username and a password. You will not be asked to provide any email ID.So as soon as you are logged in you can start  taking notes. Click on ' add new note' and  you will be directed  to a page where you will start jotting down your notes. The platform looks like any word editing tool but with no editing options. Just type in the text and give it a title then click on save or delete. Once the notes are saved you will see them on your page on Nottez.

I recommend this tool to teachers and students. It is one of the best and easiest tools to take notes online.

Gumnotes A Great Annotating and Note Taking Tool

Gumnotes is a great note taking tool that allows its users to stick notes easily to their documents. It does not only allows for  note taking but for annotating web pages too. You can add notes to websites in Firefox, Internet-Explorer and all other website-browsers. You can also annotate your documents in Word, Excel, and images.

Gumnotes is completly free as lomng as it is kept just for personal use but there is also a commercial version that is paid for.


gumnotes


Gumnotes is a great tool for teachers. They can use it to annotate pages and documents, add notes and share it with their students. It is an effective learning method. Grasp everything that is interesting for your students and illustrate it the way you want before you share it.

Some features of Gumnotes

Here is a list of the main features that Gumnote offers to its users:


  • It is free
  • It  requires a download
  • It lets users annotate websites
  • You can use it to add notes to weboages in all browsers
  • You can annotate your Outlook Emails, Followup-Emails, Contacts, Meetings, Appointments.
  • Gumnotes also works with Googlemail to alows users to annotate every sing email
  • It offers reminders and timers
  • It lets you share notes with your friends and colleagues

Watch this video to learn more about gumnotes

Review of American Educational System ( infographic )

Education is possibly the most important issue to focus on if America is to ensure her preeminence in the future. To this effect, online college compiled a report card covering presidential educational initiatives from the last 50 years. This is really a great informative infographic that provides the different stances American presidents took vis a vis education.Learn about apps and downs of the American educational policy during the last five decades.





Read and share.

American Presidents' Stances on Education
Via: Online College Resource

Recordr Easy Way to Record and Share Audio Messages

Recordr is a cool web tool. It, as its name suggests, allows its users to make a recording and share it with the rest of the world. This recording can be done with the use of a microphone a camera and right from your computer.Recordr resembles Qwips the other tool I covered in an earlier post here for they both enable users to make awesone recordings and embed them anywhere online.


recordr



Record can be used by teachers to record important reminders to be posted fro students on the classroom blog. It can also be used to create short tutorials or provide explanations on certain topics in the course.There are several other ways you can use it and it is up to you to see what fits in and what not.

How can I get started using Recordr ?


To make a recording using Recordr just head over to its main page and click on the button' record'. You do not need to sing up if you do not want. Make sure you set up your microphone and camera. You can also make just audio recording by clicking on 'audio only'. When you are done click on ' upload' to make it available on Recordr. Just under your video you will have an embed link to use when sharing it. Just remember that if you are using Recordr as a guest user then you wont be able to delete videos you submit to the website.

Head over to Recordr and give it a try.

Clipgenerator Easily Create and Share Video Clips

Clipgenerator is a great video tool that allows its users to easily create their own video clips. It can be used to compile professional slide shows from your photos, texts and music. There is also a set of automated animations and film clips compiled by professional designers and perfectly tuned to the music for you to include in your digital video creations.





Clipgenerator is very easy to use. You do not need to download any software or go through any registration process. You can start making your videos right from the webpage. Educators and teachers can use this tool to create step by step tutorials on specific topics or themes.

How can I get started  using Clipgenerator?

To make your video clip you need to:


  • Select the photos you want to use . Those can be either on your computer or from Picassa,Flickr,Smugmug or Photobucket.
  • Add music : There is a library of popular songs from various music genres. pick up the ones you want to include
  • Add Text: You can add captions to your video to make it much more expressive.


Head over to Clipgenerator and give it a try.

Capzle Easily Create and Share Rich Media Timelines for Free

Capzles is a cool web service for educators. It is basically a rich media platform where users can create their own Capzles with videos, photos, music, blogs and documents.You save all your productions into a time-line and you can then share it with others on popular social websites or even embed it in your blog or website.

Honestly speaking I was surprised to discover that this website is free given the great features it has in store for users. It just requires a sign up which is simple, quick and easy. Just head over to Capzles main page and slick on sign up. Once logged in you can start creating your new Capzle by clicking on ' create' on the upper tab.

It is like creating a sideshow but just with more interaction and animation. You need to fill in the title and description for each Capzle you make. You can also add tags and select the category under which you want to place it. Click on ' add content' to add videos, docs, PDFs, sideshows, photos ..etc.The next step is to choose a design for your Capzle by selecting the appropriate color, theme and background. Once done add you own music and choose your privacy setting whether you want it public or private. Now that your Capzle is complete you can share it using the sharing options provided there for you.

Head over to Capzle and give it a try.

Here is an example of how the final Cazle might look like

Build yourWild Self Easily Cartonize your Photos

Build your Wild Self is a cool website. It allows its users to create their own self portrait and add animal parts to. It is basically an avatar creation tool. This is a great website for students where they can create their own avatars and use them in conversations and storytelling. It can exponentially improve their critical thinking and imaginative powers.


edweb



Build your Wild Self is very easy to use and does not require any sign up software download or installation. What is even great about this utility is that users can share the avatars they create with their friends using emails, print them out or save them to their desktop.

To start using Build your Wild Self you need to head over to its main page. Select the body you want whether it is for boy or girl. Now click on the different parts of the body shown to your right like for instance: Hair, eyes, mouth and for each part you will be provided a set of examples to choose from. The same applies to clothes, tails, head gear and backgrounds. When you are done you give it a name and click on I am done. If you want to send it to a friend just click on the button ' send to friend' or ' Get a wild desktop' to save it to your computer.

Here is an example of the avatar I created , it looks funny lol.


edweb example

EdWeb A Great Professional Learning Network for Educators

EdWeb is a great website for educators. It is basically a platform where you can build your own personal learning network or join other online collaborative communities to explore new ways to enrich and improve your professional development.As a matter of fact, nobody can ever argue the importance of PLN ( Professional learning network ) in education.They are a part and parcel of today's educational approach to life long learning. If you haven't built one then EdWeb is a good start for you.


edweb



EdWeb is a professional social network for the the education community. You need to be a member to start using this website. Among the things that EdWeb can do for you are :


  1. It will enable you to connect  with other colleagues in education
  2. It lets you create professional learning communities
  3. It provides support for new teachers
  4. It is a good help in the practice of the 21st century skills.


Here are some examples of the featured Professional Learning Communities you can join in EdWeb :


  1. Emerging Tech for School Libraries
  2. Exploring eBooks for k-12 Education
  3. Game- Based Learning
  4. Tech Tools for The Classroom
  5. Using your Student Data for Student Achievement


Head over to EdWeb to explore more.

A List of Top Educational Infographics ( Slideshow )

Infographics are gaining a strong foothold in the field of education.We are witnessing a sweeping surge in infographics talking about educational issues but some of the  companies that create them are not really interested in education but rather in SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ). Anyway I will not engage you in this topic here for it is not what this post is about and . For me as long as the infographic is based on solid background data and tackles the subjects we are interested in then why not thumbing it up,  we do not care whether the person who created it wants just to draw traffic to his or her website but as long as the infographic itself contains valid and correct data then why not share it.The aim is learning and not judging people's intentions after all. I said this because  I have been engaged in such a debate about infographics in one of the  webinars I held recently and I just want to make it clear once for all.


infographic



That being said, I would like to insist on the validity and usability of the infographics I include in my blog. Before I share one here it  has to go through a filtering process including a small investigation about the creator of the infographic  and many many  other things. Anyway and without any further ado, the following are some of the popular infographics that have been making rounds online and that I have also included in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning.

Read and share the knowledge.

This presentation is done in Google Docs






This one here is done using  Issuu





Cassiopedia Free High Definition Science Education Videos

Cassiopedia is a great website for educators. This is a project that aims at facilitating the teaching and learning of science. It has a wide range of resources that teachers can use in their lesson plans and with their students. Some of the videos included are also designed for students which makes it an educational resource worth introducing to your class.


cassiopedia



Cassiopedia offers free high definition science education  videos . " While the videos are self- contained, they are embedded in a larger story intended to generate interest in the science." The videos can also be found in the Beyond Campus section of iTunes U.

This website is very easy to use. It does not require a sign up or any software download. Just head over to its main page. Click on the tab named 'videos' and start browsing its content. The videos are organized into different categories such as Biology, Space, Physics, Evolution,General Science and many more. Click on any video and you will be directed to a page where you can have more info about it such as its description, title, duration and a link for download.

Wizehive A Great Free Collaborative Workspace for Educators

Wizehive is a great web tool It allows its users to share files, manage projects, track their activity and collaborate with others. It is basically a secure and private collaborative workspace that combines several tools into one single platform.


wizehive


Wizehive combines a form builder, task manager, activity feed and workflow sheets. Educators and teachers can use it to share projects and assignments with their students. They can also use it to share conversations, notes, tasks, calendars, files and all other kinds of data. It is very secure and private so no issues for your students or their parents.

Users can enter what they want to share with others either from withing Wizehive, via emal or from Twitter and other mobile devices.I believe this is a great collaborative tool that students can bebenfit from a lot. It does require a sign up but does not call for any software download or registration.

Head over to Wizehive and give it a try.

Bookemon Easily Create Digital Ebooks for Free

Bookemon is a great website for educators. It allows its users to create, read and share books online. It is basically a " personal, digital and professioanlly printed book creation and sharing utility." Users can easily, without the need for any HTML coding or any other advanced technological wizardry, upload their graphics, documents, photos and turn them into awesome books. If you are looking for a free platform where you can get free tools to create your books and also host them then Bookemon is the right solution for you.


bokemon



Bookemon features a bookstore where you can save your digital productions. You can also use their libary to look for books you want to read but you will have to pay to purchase one.If you think  that you have a book worth selling then go ahead and put it for sale on Bookemon, you can even get an ISBN number and barcode for it. With this ISBN number you will be able to advertise ,market and sell  your books to the world through major book sellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and Borders.

Bookemon requires registration for you need to become a member to start uploading your content. The membership and other utilities provided in this website are all free and the obly thing you will need to pay for is when you decide to order bookstore quality books that have been published by you, your firends or other members.

Head over to Bookemon and give it a try.

Chill Create, Share and Organize Videos for Free

Chill is a cool web service that allows its users to create and share collections of their favourite videos. This is exactly like Pinterest for videos.If you are looking for a neat and clean interface where you can glean all your videos then Chill is the solution for you.


chill



Chill is a free video platform that requires a sign up. Just head over to its main page and open your free account there. Once logged in you can then start organizing your videos the way you want. You can even add videos with your comments to different categories. You can create as many categories as you want and via appropriately tagging your videos. they will appear just like a sticky note on a wall. The look reminds me of Wall Wisher the other tool that helps you organize your notes on a wall.

Chill supports videos from a wide range of popular video hosting platforms including Youtube, Vimeo, Vevo, and Hulu.
Head over to Chill and give it a try.

A List of Free Apps for Students with Hearing and Visual Impairment

People with disabilities have just the same right to enjoy life the same way normal people do. It really rips the heart to see someone with a certain impairment trying hard to do the simplest things in life with such a hardship. These people struggle with the day to day situations that we might simply take for granted or do not really have an entire appreciation of .

Imagine having to teach visually impaired students or those with hearing problems.Do you think they are having an easy school life like the other mates ? The answer is definitely no. They are in fact doubling the efforts to catch up with the rest of the class. Thankfully with the integration of technology into education we can help these students and give them a leg up.

Reach out for mobile technology apps and you will find a plethora of educational apps designed just to help students with different impairments. I know not everybody can have access to them because mobile technology gadgets to run them on such as iDevices are still scant in schools but this is not an excuse not to introduce some to your students. They might get their parents to buy them these devices. Additionally, there is an ongoing revolution in the world of education due to mobile technology boom and schools are now planning to get iPads and use digital textbooks. Some in the United States have already started experimenting the use of digital Chrome Books. That is really very promising and we are very sure that this is just the beginning and there is more to come.

In this regard, The Best of Mobile Technology has gathered and reviewed some of the apps that you can use with your students. These apps are for students with hearing and visual impairement. I have included these apps into different presentations to make it easy for you to share and access them anytime you want.

Here is the presentation in Google Docs






Here is the same presentation using Issuu


Free URL Shortening Tools for Teachers

Using the shortened form of URL is a great way for you to advertise and share web contents. Sometimes long URLs get broken causing people who click on them to cut and psate them back. This is not practical at all given that we are living  in an age that is ripe with awesome web 2.0 tools that can help you perform almost anything you want.

url shorteners


Being educators and teachers you might also be in need of URL shortening services that will enable you to securely shorten your URL and share it with your colleagues or students. Below are Some of the most popular URL Shorteners.

I have included these tools in a presentation that you will find below. You can download, save and share it with your colleagues.

Fur.ly
This web tool lets you place up to 50 URLs . It also allows its users to link multiple web sites to a single URL.

Google URL Shortener
 This is one of my favourite shortening tools and probably the best online. It not only shortens  your URLs but also keeps track of the history of your shrotened links and provides you with analytics on how many people clicked on them and so forth.

TinyURL

This is also another great free  tool that makes posting long URL easier. You can drag and drop its bookmarklet to your toolbar. It works on all major web browsers as long as your bokmarks and favourites allows javascript.


Bit.ly

This service allows its users to shorten as many URLs as they want. It also lets them share and track analytics of their links.


Cli.gs

This is a short URL service that shortens long links for easier sharing with friends on Twitter and Facebook, over email or IM.


Snip URL

this tool allows users to shorten many URLs at once.You can also drag its bookmarklet to your browser for easy use. It does require a sing up.


Is.gd

This is another great short URL service. It does not require a sing up


V.gd

This one here is like Is.gd for they have the same features and almost the same platform.


Tweetburner

This tool lets you shorten URLs and track what happens with links you share on Twitter.

Here is the presentation in Google Docs







Here is the same presentation in Issuu



Week in Review The Most Popular posts in Educational Technology and Mlearning

Hello everyone. This is Med sending you his best wishes from Halifax. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and I hope you are not away from your computers or iDevices so that you can read at least this post.
As is the habit every weekend I compile here the most popular and viewed articles on Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. If you haven't had the chance to read them then you can bookmark and access them as you wish.


most popular posts







Have you already subscribed to Educational Technology and Mobile Learning ? If not this is how to do it :

  1-   Subscribe via RSS
  2-   Like Educational Technology and Mobile Learning on Facebook
  3-   Find Educational Technology and Mobile Learning Google Plus
  4-   Follow Educational Technology and Mobile Learning on Twitter

My other blog The Best of Mobile Technology is gaining subscribers everyweek. If you want to learn more about how to use mobile technology such as smart phones, tablets, and apps in education , please check out The Best of Mobile Technology and let me know what you think.

Thank you very much for your support and enjoy your weekend.

Add Voice Narration to Presentations Using HelloSlide

HelloSlide is a cool web tool that allows its users to create awesome slides together with voice narration. Yes now your slides will look like a lecture.There are some other tools  online that enable users to embed audio clips into their presentations but HelloSlide is different in that it has an automatic translator that converts your text into speech. You just type in your narration and HelloSlide will transform it into audio captions that will accompany each slide you choose.


helloslide



Do not expect to hear a pure human sound for this is not even available in the most sophisticated speech to text  tools such as SIRI but rather a robitic translation which is still very good and better than many other translations elsewhere.

Some features of HelloSide

Here is a list of the main features that HelloSlide offers to its users:


  • It is has a free version with certain limitations ( just 50 presentation )
  • It generates audio for your slides
  • It makes your presentations searchable, editable and available in more than 20 languages
  • It is very easy to use, just upload a PDF of your presentation , use the ditor to type in the speech for each slide, and press play to hear your your presentation



Head over to HelloSlide and give it a try

Qwips Create and Share Free Voice Messages

Qwips is a new web tool that allows users to create short audio messages. This is like Audioboo but way simpler and easier to use.Teachers can use Qwips to record quick reminders for their students and post them on the class blog. This is also a good way to keep your students updated on assignments and homework.


qwips



Qwips is very easy to use. Just head over to its main page and sing in using your Facebook or Twitter account. Once logged in you can then click on record and start talking . You have up to 30 seconds of recording length so you better know how to effectiely use it. When your audio message is ready Qwips generates a URL for you so that you can use to share your messages. You can embed it on your blog or share it with others via email. You can also use your audio message as an image caption a feature that is not found in Audioboo.

Some features of Qwips

Here is a list of the main features that Qwips offers to its users:


  • It is free
  • It lets users record audio messages
  • It offers up to 30 seconds of recording length
  • It allows users to take a photo with a voice caption
  • It lets you tag a video with a voice intro or  narration
  • It lets you enliven your emails by including voice messages as signatures
  • You can add voice emoticons to SMS, comments and reviews.


Head over to Qwips and give it a try.

Libreoffice A Free Great Alternative to Microsoft Office Suite

Libreoffice is a free open source office suit software that you can download and install for free. This is my favourite office suite and  I even prefer it over the Open Office. Libreoffice has a set of writing and editing tools that resemble  Microsoft Office.So if you already know how to open an office and write a document or spreedsheet then you will find Libreoffice way easier.


libreoffice



Libreoffice is free and there is no fear of copyright infringements. It works on almost all the major operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and GNU/Linux ( Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandriva, Suse,...)

Some features of Libreoffice

Here is a set of the main features that Libreoffice offers to its users :
It is free
It requires a download
It is available in several languages
It has LGPL public license
It is user friendly
It has an intuitive interface that you can easily customize
It is compatible with all major competitor file formats
It lets you import files from Microsot  Word, Excel and PowerPoint and many other formats, and can easily save to Microsoft Office and other formats when needed.


Head over to Libreoffice and give it a try

Vidcaster Easily Create your Free Video Website

Vidcaster is a great web tool for educators. It is basically a platform where users can store and organize their videos. It is your first step to create a video website where you can showcase your video library. This service has both a free and pro version but the free one is already generous enough for us in education.

Vidcaste is easy to use and does require a quick registration after which you will be prompted to connect your Vidcaster account with your YouTube one.Once connected you can then start fetching videos from your YouTube and get them organized in your Vidcaster page. There is a nice collection of display templates to choose from if you want to customize the look of your page.


vidcaster


Some features of Vidcaster

Here is a list of the main features that Vidcaster provides to its users:


  • It is easy and simple to use
  • It allows users to create video websites from their YouTube uploads
  • It offers a library of professionally customized themes
  • Automatic syncing with your YouTube channel


Head over to Vidcaster and give it a try

Infographic on The Digital Classroom

There is a growing buzz in the educational sphere around digital textbooks. Since the launch of iBooks 2 and iBooks Author and the educational technology experts are investigating the potential of these new revolutionary tools. Google is not disassociated from the scene and it is trying to take a foothold with a huge project called Chrome books. So the question that really needs an urgent answer is : are  we in front of  a ferocious competition between Google and Apple to gain more sales via investing in education or is it really the beginning of a digital revolution in education?






Anyway I can not provide an answer yet as it is too early to judge the intentions behind these huge moves but what is really amazing is the fact that the infographic world is keeping track of these innovations and is providing us with awesome infographics too. The Digital Classroom is an example. There are quite many others that cover this issue and that I have included in previous posts here, you can check out Educational Infographics section to learn more.

Read this and share it with others.

The Digital Classroom
Via: Accredited Online Universities Guide

Online Video Training Brings the Classroom to Your iPod


Online video training sites typically offer video or audio recordings of classes taught at colleges and universities across the nation. Users can tune in to these free-of-charge class sessions and follow along. While students can’t get credit for classes taken on YouTube, and iTunes U – as these do not offer degrees – the information in the lectures is often the same as what students get in live classes.




Online Video Training: Key Benefits

Online video training is growing in popularity. In August 2010, Apple announced iTunes U had surpassed 300 million downloads after only three years in operation. MIT’s OpenCourseWare project continues to add new classes at the rate of 50 a year, and YouTube EDU offers over 200 complete courses. Corporations like Volvo are also adopting the new technology to personalize training across thousands of employees worldwide.
Students are flocking to video training options because of its advantages such as:
  • Overcoming barriers of distance. In August 2010, American surgeons began giving counterparts in Nepal live video instruction on surgical techniques. This was a dramatic illustration of the power of online video training to overcome barriers of distance.
  • Facilitating frequent training. In some fields, and especially in technology, change happens rapidly. Online tech training is one way to meet the demand for frequent updates of knowledge and techniques. Professionals who many not have time or money to pay for refresher courses can take advantage of online video training to stay abreast of current trends or brush up before certification or licensing exams.
  • Using up-to-date communication styles. A Department of Education analysis of over a thousand studies of online learning found that on average, students did better under online learning conditions than with face-to-face instruction. A survey of more than 200 medical students found that an overwhelming majority believed that technology — including video game applications — would enhance their instruction.
  • Enhancing information retention. One study found that introducing a video element to instructional programs enhanced long-term retention of the material, perhaps because of the heightened visual dimension of the content.

Online Video Training: Best Practices

Clearly, online video training has several potential applications and benefits, but not all online video training is created equal. Users of online video training should make the distinction between the following forms of training:
  • Vendor-generated video. Vendors of various products, especially in the realm of technology, often produce videos instructing users on the correct application of their products. Online tech training using vendor-generated videos for specific products can be very effective, as long as the user understands that the material does not represent an objective overview of the entire field.
  • In-house videos. In-house videos can be valuable where the focus is on company policy or proprietary techniques. Where broader subject matter is concerned, it can be helpful to introduce outside expertise.
  • Accredited, academic online video training. Material produced by accredited academic institutions is likely to contain the highest-quality content, and can also be part of a formal degree or certification program which allows customers and/or potential employers to recognize the level of training an individual has received. In short, formal programs make sure that the acquired skills are not only useful, but that they are marketable too.
Online training can be a great resource, but it does have its limitations. For one thing, sites like YouTube don’t generally vouch for the quality of the instruction, meaning some courses may be pure brilliance while others may be little more than a series of PowerPoint slides and a lecturer droning on in the background. And unlike online computer certifications, most video training programs don’t allow for interactivity, so if students get confused, they’re on their own. Students needing in-depth instruction or those who are looking to tackle highly technical fields may find degree programs or accredited certification courses better meet their needs.
Online video training can come in many forms, but in the right format, it’s a valuable tool to update skills, prepare for certification exams, or finally audit that class on the history of rock and roll.

Debbie Lawrence is a content editor who primarily writes for an online schooling blog. You can contact her at dlawrence2[@]quinstreet.com with any suggestions, questions, or comments. You can find her on Twitter here

 
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