Mxit now offers a Life Orientation contact very similar to Dr Maths called Dr LOLS.  The contact is added using the telephone number, 0968016168.

Dr LOLS seems to be more of an information portal than an interactive chat with a contact. Dr LOLS does, however, provide a few days a month for approximately 2 hours where tutors are online.

The interactive chat offers two options:

(1) Type in .c to learn more about careers. This brings up the following

Type in .c followed by a word. Valid words are:
1) Accountant
2) Actors
3) Actuary
4) Administrative assistant
5) Adult Educator
6) Advocate
7) Agricultural Economist
8 ) Aircraft Avioncian
9) Air Traffic Controller
10) Ambulance Emergency Care Worker(Paramedic)
11) Architect
12) Architectural Technologist
13) Armature-Winder
14) Armoured Car Guard
15) Assembly Line Worker
16) Attorney/Lawyer
17) Banking Careers
18) Beauty Technologist
19) Biochemist
20) Boilermaker
21) Bookkeeper
22) Cabin Attendant
23) Credit Controller
24) Diesel Fitter Career
25) DJ
26) Magistrate
27) Public Prosecutor

(2) Type in .pd to learn more about personal development. This brings up the following

Type in .pd followed by a word. Valid words are:
1) Personal Qualities/ characteristics
2) personal values
3) Self-esteem

Comments and feedback from people using Dr LOLS would be greatly appreciated.

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I can only imagine the number of applications there are for Google Wave in an educational setting (if this preview is anything to go by).

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Photographer James Balog shares new image sequences from the Extreme Ice Survey,  a network of time-lapse cameras recording glaciers receding at an alarming rate, some of the most vivid evidence yet of climate change.

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When you hear the word/s “Defrag” or “Defragment” your hard drive, what do you think of?

Yes, many of us think: “It’s that laborious task that is essential to our HDDs’ well-being (and overall PC performance).”
Yet, most of us never do it.
(Note: If you have Windows Vista or later, Disk Defragmenter is automatically scheduled. At ridiculous times in the morning – when you’re PCs probably off)

Did you know?

• Fragmentation can lead to Hard Drive failures?
• Fragmented files cause extra head movement, slowing disk accesses?
• Fragmented hard drives are more difficult to recover?

Recently, I bought a new Western Digital 1TB HDD. I wanted it to be completely fragment free so that I could ensure it’s drive life, thus, I was searching ZDNet Downloads and found a very interesting defragmenting software…

—

Puran Defrag

Puran Defrag is a 3rd-party HDD Defragmenter. It includes some of the most revolutionary features and defragging techniques.

“The most notable feature is dubbed “PIOZR”(Puran Intelligent Optimizer)PIOZR is a revolutionary technology which makes your computer faster than ever before. It works on simple principle that ”things most needed should be placed at most accessible places in order”. This principle applies to our hard disk as well, the outer edge is the fastest and as we go inside reading and writing speed gets slower and slower. So it will be a good idea to place frequently used files in order on the outer edge of the disk. This is what PIOZR does, it places frequently used files in order at faster disk areas and hence boost the overall system speed..”

Another feature I REALLY love is the Boot Time Defrag. This allows you to reboot your PC and defrag (with a disk-check, if needed) either reboot and start-up windows, or shutdown. This is really useful if you’re going out/sleep and wan’t to turn off your computer. Instead of simply turning it off, let it do a intensive defrag before sleeping in its silicon bedding.

“Some of the files like MFT, Registry, Pagefile etc. cannot be defragmented or is not safe to defrag when Windows is running. Here, Boot Time Defragmentation plays its role, it defragments these files at Windows Boot Time and hence gets positive results.”

User Interface

Puran Defrag 6.1

Puran has a very friendly, easy-to-understand interface that is similar to the pre-Vista defragment tool’s layout.

Puran Defragmenter costs US$19.95 for a single-user licence.

But if you head over to their website: http://www.puransoftware.com/, you can download a 30-day trial version to see if you like it.
And, if you do, like I do, you won’t regret spending every last cent of the price.

Regards,
Allen

P.S. I’ve been defragging my drives daily ever since I started using Puran. Before, I used to defrag once a MONTH!

Note: The creators of Puran are Indian (from India) – their English might not be very good.

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Recently, Microsoft released a public beta of their highly anticipated anti-virus software for Windows.

Source: Wikipedia
Microsoft Security Essentials (codenamed Morro) is free antivirus software created by Microsoft that provides protection againstviruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans for Windows XP, Vista, and 7.[1] Currently in beta testing, it was available for download to the first 75,000 people in the United States, Israel, People’s Republic of China and Brazil.

Despite Microsoft’s 75000 download limit, Softpedia has uploaded it onto their servers. (Download here)
The only requirement is that you own a legitimate copy of Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Microsoft Security Essentials really does a great job when it comes to user-friendliness.

Microsoft Security Essentials: 1.0.1500.0

Users don’t really need to worry about it as it does almost everything automatically. If a threat is detected, a very intuitive pop-up screen pops up.

Intiutive Pop-Up Message

Many reviews have given positive ratings for Microsoft Secrurity Essentials on its low resource usage.

“Brian Krebs of The Washington Post found MSE used 4 megabytes of RAM during testing, even during scans. A “Quick Scan” took about 10 minutes, and a “Full Scan” about 45 minutes on an installation of Windows 7.”

Thus far, I’ve been quite impressed with MSE’s detection and removal methods. IMO, being a long-time Avast user, MSE beats Avast! in many ways (especially resource usage).

It’s good seeing that Microsoft has caught up (and overtaking) its competitors in Security Applications. Replacing Windows Live OneCare.

Let us all hope things only improve…

Regards,
Allen

Links
MSE: Official Website
Wikipedia’s Article about MSE
ZDNET: “Microsoft Security Essentials: What wannabe testers need to know”

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“The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” ~ Socrates (470 BC–399 BC)

(NOTE: It goes without saying that pupils should be educated on safe, constructive and mutually respectful use of this medium before it is used in the classroom.)

Our children are leaving us behind. They use technology, some of which they access via their cell phones, which we as adults do not even know exists. How often do we see children deep in concentration, bent over their cell phones, furiously thumbing away on their most prized possession?  It intimidates us; so we discourage it and none more so than in the classroom.

As educators we need to step into their world. We need to find ways of harnessing this technology. We need to be less resistant to change. Technology can never be a substitute for good teaching methods. Technology does, however, give educators the opportunity of connecting with pupils on their level too.

One of the easiest, cheapest and most available ways of bringing technology into the classroom is via the cell phone.

Pupils are acutely aware that teachers don’t like cells in class. A simple instruction like, “please all take out your cell phones and turn them on if they are off”, often leads to blank-faced silence and disbelief; and that is if they haven’t been forced to hand their phones in at the office before coming to class.

Personal opinion:- banning cell phones in the classroom (as an educational tool) equates to taking away a child’s pen and paper.

So how can Nimbuzz be useful in the classroom?

• The (suggested) setup
  • If you have a computer in your classroom connected to the internet I recommend you install Nimbuzz PC; it makes for easier communication in terms of copying and pasting text to distribute.
  • Create a Nimbuzz account. If you have an existing Nimbuzz account, create a new one specifically for school use. This will ensure privacy for you existing Nimbuzz account. The beauty of Nimbuzz is that you can have more than one account linked to your cell number.
  • Get your pupils to install Nimbuzz and create an account by going to http://get.nimbuzz.com on their cell phones. Give them your login name so they can invite you.
  • Keep track of who has signed up on class lists. You can invite pupils from this list (if they have not already invited you) and refer to the list when assessing work.
  • Arrange pupils into the groups on you Nimbuzz application according to their classes. You can add a pupil to more than one group. This is useful when you teach more than one subject and/or have a register class.
• Types of Messaging
  There are two types of messages that can be sent:
  • Chat – conversation with text. (The text disappears when Nimbuzz is closed. Restricted to 2048 characters) Chatting is useful for:
    • Collaboration on a group project – sharing ideas
    • Confirming homework that has to be done; between pupils and with the educator
    • Help from an educator. A fixed time can be set aside each day to help pupils with their homework
    • Remind pupils about upcoming tests and work due
    • Class discussions – everyone gets an equal say in a noise free discussion. These discussions can be copied and pasted into word for further discussion later, if need be.
    • Study groups
    • If a pupil is away for any length of time, for an operation for example, the educator can not only find out how the pupils is, but help the pupil with any work missed.
  • Messaging – like emailing. (The message you sent is stored in your outbox, and the inbox of the person you sent to. These are permanent, unless deleted, and can be retrieved at any time. Restricted to 1024 characters) Messaging is useful for:
    • Absent pupils can be sent the work they missed and what they need to catch up on
    • Year plans that may include term dates, school functions, etc
    • Term plans that may include the work to be covered and test dates, etc
    • Weekly/daily plans, which may include a reminder of due dates for projects and test dates, etc
    • General notices; parent evening reminders, money to be brought in for a school outing, etc
    • Assignments.

      Example 1:

      “You are required to contextualize what you have learnt in this section of work. Identify in your local environment examples of what you have learned.

      1. Document good and bad practices of energy use in your community by taking photographs with your cell phone.

      2. Document renewable and non renewable resources in your community by taking a photograph with your cell phone.

      3. Make sure you name the files with your name and indicate good or bad practices and renew or non-renew

      4. I will collate your photographs and as a class we will discuss them.

      (8 marks. 2 marks per photo)”

      Example 2:

      “Record, on your phone, a short audio or video interview with a parent or adult on their view of the state of the nation speech. Bring the interview to school to download onto the PC via Bluetooth. (5 marks)”

      Once again these can be shown and discussed as a group, or pupils can express their views on paper.

      Example 3:

      “You have been sent an image of a landform. In point form briefly EXPLAIN the formation of the landform. Send your answer to me via Nimbuzz messaging.

      (10 marks)

      Note: If you did not receive your image buzz me so I can sent it to you.”

      *The following is an example of an image that could be sent*

      

Uses for Nimbuzz in the classroom are only limited by our imaginations. The more we share ideas and resources the better it will be for us as educators crossing the technological divide and bringing the classroom into the 21st Century.

Lets share ideas and lesson in the comment thread below.

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Far from being just a communication device, the cellphone has been turned into a learning hub with maths and literacy available on social networking platform MXit.

The cellphone is also being used to save lives and make an impact in fighting tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/Aids.

Earlier this month MXit launched its instant mobile book to encourage global teenage literacy while being part of a ground-breaking maths initiative in which Grade 9 and 10 pupils taking part in a pilot project exercise have access to 22 500 mathematical problems.

Pupils can download an entire book from the MXit network for R13.50, which is a fraction of the cost of buying literature in traditional bookstores.

Read more

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Behavioral Economist, Dan Ariely, has long been fascinated with how emotional states, moral codes and peer pressure affect our ability to make rational and often extremely important decisions in our daily lives — across a spectrum of our interests, from economic choices (how should I invest?) to personal (who should I marry?).

At Duke, he’s aligned with three departments (business, economics and cognitive neuroscience); he’s also a visiting professor in MIT’s Program in Media Arts and Sciences and a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight.

His hope is that studying and understanding the decision-making process can help people lead better, more sensible daily lives. Watch this one and you decide…

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions.html

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Saul Griffith has a uniquely open approach to problem solving. Whether he’s devising a way to slash the cost of prescription eyeglasses or teaching science through cartoons, Griffith makes things and then shares his ideas with the world.
His companies have invented a myriad of new devices and materials, such as a “smart” rope that senses its load, or a machine for making low-cost eyeglass lenses through a process inspired by a water droplet. He’s fascinated with materials that assemble themselves, and with taking advantage of those properties to make things quickly and cheaply.

In this brief talk, Saul Griffith unveils the invention his new company Makani Power has been working on: giant kite turbines that create surprising amounts of clean, renewable energy.

Please watch the video clip on the link below. I hope it serves to inspire, innovative, progressive minds in much the same way as I have experienced suchlike informative, ingenious ideas. It makes you want to make constructive creative things happen too!

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/saul_griffith_on_kites_as_the_future_of_renewable_energy.html

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