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"There is one iOS "tip" that I keep hearing and it is wrong. Worse, I keep hearing it from supposedly authoritative sources. I have even heard it from the lips of Apple "Geniuses" in stores. Here is the advice - and remember it is wrong: All those apps in the multitasking bar on your iOS device are currently active and slowing it down, filling the device's memory or using up your battery. To maximise performance and battery life, you should kill them all manually. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. There are caveats to this but anyone dispensing the advice above is clearly uninformed enough that they will certainly not be aware of these subtleties."

Check the compatibility of your Mac device before upgrading to new OS

When the first version of HTML5 published in 2008, it raised more questions than it answered. Would it be a force of unification or division? Would content producers, browser programmers and device manufacturers agree to new standards? And would it finally solve issues related to multi-platform development? Its fate was uncertain for some time, especially as heavyweights Apple and Adobe duked it out in the mobile arena. The future of Flash, the standard for streaming video on the web, hung in the balance.

"Apple is upping its bid for its hot-selling iPad to be a teaching device, with an update today to its iTunes U app that allows any teacher to create a private course. The new features, aimed at K-12 teachers who use iPads in the classroom, allow teachers to create up to 12 private courses."

"Whether you're searching for apps on your mobile device, browser, desktop or any other platform, we make sure you can always find the tools you need. We'll find you apps for every activity and task imaginable. Just answer one question for us: What do you want to do? Quixey was founded in 2009 to solve a problem - millions of apps were being created, but there was no simple way to find them. App discovery was limited to categories, top ten lists, directories and basic keyword search. Quixey was created to help people easily find apps simply by describing want they wanted to do. "

Schools are needing increasing amounts of expensive educational technology at a time when budgets are shrinking. Many have started to explore BYOD policies - Bring Your Own Device - as a practical solution to integrate cost effective technology into their educational programs. With the convergence of widespread broadband and the growth of powerful, platform independent web based tools BYOD has finally arrived as an effective educational alternative to other plans that require expensive purchasing and maintenance. Viewed within a realistic perspective of both its benefits and limitations BYOD can provide a workable solution for the many schools seeking to upgrade their educational technology.

Evernote is a tool for keeping track of, well, everything. At least everything as far as digital information goes, or information that can be digitized. Evernote comprises a Web-based service and clients for Windows, Mac OS X, mobile devices, and extensions for Web browsers. It's a service I've been using for years, and over that time I've picked up a few tips and tricks for getting the most out of the tool.

A pdf White Paper on Preparing for the influx of mobile computing devices in schools

I'm still excited after the first meeting with the students at Melbourne City School back in April. Since I approached the school with an idea for using Augmented Reality (AR) and Games-based Learning they have been warm and welcoming and things have progressed ever so fast.  We had some initial discussions about how Curiosity Lab (ELN) and the students could work on something and they embraced the possibilities, so we just got straight into it. Using ARIS,  the novelty of AR and opportunities to attach rich media in the AR browser, we set produce something powerful that is learner driven, which attracts media attention and captures the hearts and imagination of the public. The fact that Layar is an app designed for mobile devices make it well suited to promoting the idea of recycling mobile phones to help protect and preserve the habitat of the Western Lowlands Gorilla.

In the world of  tablet technology the warring dividing lines very quickly became the choice between Apple and Android mobile devices. The research began. The comparisons between apps and general capacity for varied uses were central (see my earlier blog posts), but also crucial was the cost. The question, 'why pay for the premium Apple iPad product in a time of fiscal austerity in education?' is obvious. Is the capacity so much better to justify paying extra, or is the iPad a triumph of advertising hype?

"The report is based on global research, including the 'iPad Scotland Evaluation Study' that Sciennes Primary School took part in, and seeks to explore 1) if we know enough to demonstrate if, how and when iPads support learning 2) the key ideas from the literature on the effective use of iPads and other post-PC tablet devices and 3) the implications of tablet technologies for school leaders, network managers, teachers, learners and their parents."

"With the rise of the blended learning model of education, video is becoming an increasingly important medium for instruction. The essential components of blended learning - such as flipped classrooms, MOOCs and "Bring Your Own Device" programs - are facilitated by video instruction to ensure the personalization and flexibility of a digitized education system"

"As teachers are seeing more and more iPads in education and either using their own devices or being given a teacher iPad or a class set, it is important to realize what the iPad is and what it isn't."

"The World's Simplest Quiz Tool... that has powerful analytics, can be embedded anywhere, and looks stunning on every device?"

"Google Drive is one of the fundamental tools in our digital toolkits as teachers and educators. Whether you want to compose a document, create a presentation,  design a sheet, or share a beautiful drawing you made, Google Drive provides you with the tools to do that on any device and anywhere you are with an internet connection . Given this huge importance of Google Drive for teachers, I have created an entire section here packed full of tips, tricks, ideas, and third party tools to enable you to better tap into the full educational potential of this platform."

"The ultimate app for iBeacon developers and enthusiasts. Manage, detect and range beacon sensors around you. Create multiple regions and define actions that can be triggered when you enter or leave them. It works with any beacon sensor, such as Estimote™, StickNFind™, Radius Networks™ or another iOS device. Download it from the App Store. "

"There was a lot of head-nodding around the office when Jason Orbaugh's article for EdSurge "Lessons from the Downfall of Interactive Whiteboards" made the rounds on TechSmith's internal social media site few months back. When we visit schools and ask teachers how they're actually using their IWBs, the answers would probably surprise the people who wrote the checks for these devices. But we're making a huge bet that things are going to be different with Chromebooks. Why? "

Tomorrow at the NCTIES 2014 conference I am facilitating a workshop on creating videos with mobile apps. I designed the workshop to accommodate users of iOS and Android devices. In preparation for the workshop I created this chart that compares the features and costs of eleven mobile video creation apps.

"Subscribers should be cautious about using free wireless hotspots. In particular, you should avoid sending sensitive or personal information over these untrusted networks. Free wi-fi hotspots can be found in coffee shops and public establishments, offering convenient internet access over a wireless connection. You can connect to these hotspots using devices such as mobile phones or laptops with wireless capabilities. However, it is important to be aware that most of these hotspots are unsecured, meaning that all the information you send across them is vulnerable."

"Zebedee is a handheld, three-dimensional mapping device that has a vast array of applications, and has already been being picked up by the Queensland police for crime scene investigations. Zebedee is able to generate 3D recreations of spatial environments in the time it takes to walk through them. The portable laser scanner is one of the latest whiz-bang inventions from the scientists at CSIRO."