Episode 0041, 03/22/2008
Title: CourseCast 41: A New Model for Purchasing Music, Google Expands Spreadsheet Tool, Wireless Spectrum Auction Closes, Microblog your Class
Description: A New Model for Purchasing Music, Google Expands Spreadsheet Tool, Wireless Spectrum Auction Closes, Microblog your Class
Welcome to Course Technology's CourseCast of the week, Episode 41, recorded March 22nd, 2008. This is Ken Baldauf bringing you this week's technology news and information. This CourseCast is brought to you by Course Technology. Check out www.course.com for innovative textbooks and creative electronic learning solutions.
Story 1 - A New Model for Purchasing Music
How much would you be willing to pay to download any music you like, anytime, legally? Apple is reportedly entertaining the idea of providing unlimited access to all the music in its iTunes store with the purchase of an iPod or iPhone. They are in talks with the record labels to decide how much to charge for the service. Apple wants to add $20 to the price of an iPod, and iPhone for unlimited music, which the owner would be able to download for the life of the device, and keep forever. Nokia is rolling out a similar service for its cell phones that it's calling "Comes with Music" for an additional $80 applied to the handset price. While it is yet undecided how much such a service will cost, how much the hardware vendors, and cell phone carriers might be willing to kick in, it seems that unlimited music will be the next marketing enticement to get customers to purchase devices and cell phone plans. Sounds good to me!
Sources: Apple may bundle unlimited iTunes with iPods [Ars Technica], Apple Considering 'Free' Access to iTunes Library [Top Tech News]
Story 2 - Google Expands Spreadsheet Tool
Google's free online spreadsheet tool has been expanded to provide more functionality and services. Users can now use "gadgets" to plot spreadsheet data on a map, or create graphs and charts. The visual rendering of spreadsheet data can then be embedded in Web pages to share with others. Other new features include a messaging system that informs group members of updates made to spreadsheets. Google plans to add gadget tools to its Docs and Presentation software soon. Google's improvements to these rich Internet applications illustrate Google's intent to give Microsoft® Office a run for the money.
Sources: Google brings gadgets to Docs' spreadsheet [Computerworld]
Story 3 - Wireless Spectrum Auction Closes
The FCC Auction for the 700 Megahertz wireless spectrum that I reported on in CourseCast 33 has finally ended. The FCC raised $19.6 billion for the last of the valuable wireless radio spectrum, ideal for mobile communications and Internet service. Besides the FCC, the big winners were Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and Google. Verizon and AT&T won hundreds of licenses to use various frequencies of the spectrum. While Google did not win frequencies, it did manage a win by getting the FCC to agree to keep some of the spectrum open access. This means that Verizon and AT&T will be required to allow any compatible software and device to be used on a portion of the spectrum - including Google's technologies. For consumers, the open-access requirements of this spectrum should lead to a wider assortment of handsets, software, and services from which to choose. It will also open up handsets for targeted advertising campaigns - something that Google and others are very anxious for.
Sources: Verizon, AT&T Are Big Winners in FCC Auction [Top Tech News], Wireless auction yields mixed results for consumers [Computerworld]
Story 4 - Microblog your Class
Microblogging sites like twitter, Jaiku, and Pownce allow members to post short messages to their "followers" throughout the day. Users find it an amusing and useful way to inform their group of friends or associates of what they are doing and thinking. Like many, Professor David Parry at the University of Texas first approached this new Web 2.0 trend with skepticism. After including it as an assignment in his class, he found it to be a wonderful tool for engaging his students in class material. Twittering served as a "reinforcement and connection between the material and the real world.” It "changed classroom dynamics in a positive way, encouraging more respectful and productive interaction between students by turning the class into a community.” Read more about Professor Parry's experience with Twitter in the articles sited with the show notes.
Sources: Twitter breaks down barriers in the classroom [Ars Technica], Micro Blogging with Twitter [Campus Technology]
New Briefs
That's it for this week's CourseCast. Links to this week's stories and many more news and information resources are provided at the CourseCast Web site at www.course.com/coursecasts. E-mail us with your suggestions for the show at course.coursecasts@cengage.com. Until next time, have a great week and be sure to take advantage of the Power -- of Technology!