That’s just magic!

magic
Originally uploaded by tsheko
Here’s a visual search with a difference. Have some fun at http://amaztype.tha.jp/
The word you enter in the search box is created visually using books on that theme. Images are continuously generated so it’s a moving thing, but if you click on one of the books, you get information from Amazon about the [...]

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#15 Is this Second Life?

imagine working at google
Originally uploaded by tsheko
I’ve watched the film Working for Google before and it made me blink in disbelief. Was I watching a science fiction film? Had I ended up in Second Life? Something definitely surreal about this… The fact that a workplace would provide employees things like on-site doctors, dentists, massage and [...]

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iGoogle therefore i am #15

iGoogle page
Originally uploaded by tsheko
I’ve set my iGoogle page as my second homepage (first is school homepage) with an extra tab. I’m not blown away by iGoogle and I don’t know why because theoretically it should be great, but I suppose I’ll keep thinking about it.

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#14 Google book search

Little suck a thumb 2
Originally uploaded by daniel.schenzer
I thought I’d search an old German children’s book to test out Google Book Search. Can’t believe it, not only did I get a result, but also whole page images (which I couldn’t copy), extracts of popular passages and interesting background information. I still can’t believe this book [...]

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#13 Google maps

Well, that’s one way of getting there. But it’s not the way I go. I suppose Google maps doesn’t have an innate knowledge of traffic. Doesn’t have a ‘backway’ route.

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The elephant and the balloon

I know that many people are kicking against this Web 2.0 learning curve. I’m not saying everyone, but I have spoken to several (more than 3) people who are finding this experience more pain than gain. Well, I just want to say , don’t give up! Once you pass a certain threshold, you suddenly get [...]

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#12 Google docs

Some Questions Can’t Be Answered by Google
Originally uploaded by Mykl Roventine
The unmistakable beauty of Google Docs is that they can be saved and accessed on any computer. It seems that all good things are free-floating. We’re no longer anchored to one harbour. That goes for del.icio.us, furl, librarything and others I can’t think of at [...]

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Class, take out your Facebooks

WEB 2.0 CITY
Originally uploaded by gualtierocatrame
One of the most useful aspects of Facebook is the Groups application. This enables group communication with all the messages visible to the whole group. We could easily incorporate this type of socialnetworking in schools, eg set up the following groups:
Sci-fi; graphic novels; Manga, etc.
Another feature is the promotion of [...]

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a small matter of perspective

Here’s an example of the way Facebook can broaden local perspective.
My older son is currently doing Year 12 IB (International Baccalaureate). He joined an IB related Facebook group (You Know When You’re in IB When …) , and read that northern hemisphere IB students had already finished. Thinking that he could attract some pity, he [...]

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Facebook/MySpace? What the…? (#10,11)

Facebook Vs Myspace (Ben Heine)
Originally uploaded by Ben Heine
What’s the difference between Facebook and MySpace? To find out, I asked my son who uses both: 
MySpace
- more customised in terms of html; the look is more customizable;
- you can stick pictures wherever you want and also YouTube or widgets
- he feels it’s more ’his space’ and puts [...]

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