New Stuff ... iPods and Simulations

Every year there seems to be some new electronics device that students have received as Christmas gifts that appear on our campus when we return from the Winter Break. This year is no exception. MP3 players (iPod / iPodNano / ZenMicro) have been popular for several years. Each year the devices become smaller and more advanced. Currently, there are smaller and smaller MP3 players, smaller micro (Thumb) drives with greater capacity, and a convergence of devices that were tradionally separate.

The iPod Nano and Video iPod were big sellers this year, one of the advantages of these devices is that you can record an audio or video stream post it on the web and have students subscribe through an RSS feed. (Podcasting) Many of the major broadcast television networks are allowing users to purchase the current episodes of hit shows, two to three days after they initially air for .99.

Some of the advancements in hard or flash drive technology include drives that have a 5GB capacity and are the size of a silver dollar and can hang on your belt loop. Other flash drives have a 256MB capacity and double as a bracelet, just like the one's that many students are wearing for certain causes these days.

Skype is a tool that you can use to make phone calls free over the Internet. Now, version 2.0 has just been released. Skype version 2.o allows you to create a video conference between your class and anyone around the world. Imagine connecting with another class in Europe or Asia and discussing historical events, interpretation of literature or conversing in each other's language.

Create your own Country.... Establish your democracy, autocracy or oligarchy. Create your own monitary system and control the foreign policy and make allies and enemies. NationStates.com allows you to do all of the above.

As mentioned in a previous post, there is an AJAX tool that will translate any typed passage for you as you type it in your native language. Now, there is a translation tool available for Yahoo Messenger.